Time Tells All
by m.brown
Summary: Where are Hayley and Hope five years after they packed up and left New Orleans? How are they going to save the Original family and save Klaus from Marcel's eternal imprisonment? My take on how Season 4 could start out/just what I felt like writing. T for now, but we'll see if that changes after Elijah wakes up...
1. Searching

**Here's my story on how the series is going to pick up in Season 4!**

"Mom, could you tell me another one? About… dad?" Hope asked hesitantly. Hayley looked deep into those big, hazel eyes and smiled.

"Of course, sweetie," Hayley said as she stroked her seven-year-old daughter's brown hair. She couldn't resist it when she made the puppy dog face at her. Well, actually she knew exactly when Hope was trying to manipulate her, but she couldn't resist her asking about her father.

Once or twice a week, Hope would ask her to tell stories about Klaus, Rebekah, Kol, Freya and… Elijah. Hope could sense it was hard for her to talk about, so she never asked every night, but she was a curious little girl. When Hope was three, Hayley would find her opening all of the drawers of whatever hotel or safe house they were staying in. When she was four, she found the caskets and began to ask questions about that. As she got older, she began to ask little bits and pieces about what was going on until she knew the kid-friendly version of the story.

Hayley pulled some blankets up to Hope's chin and made sure her trusty wolf stuffed animal, creatively named Wolfy, was right next to her. Hayley sank back on to the pillows and wrapped an arm around her daughter before closing her eyes and trying to think of a Klaus story. Sometimes she had to make things up when she couldn't think of any of the good deeds he had done, but tonight she was feeling sentimental. She also felt it was time for Hope to hear who her father really was.

"My favorite story about your dad is the reason we're on this little journey. This is the story that makes him a hero. Your dad… well, he made sure that you, me, Uncle Elijah, Uncle Kol, Aunt Rebekah, and Aunt Freya could live. You know the mean man down in New Orleans? Marcel? Well, your dad decided that Marcel could take him as prisoner so that the rest of us could be free. You see, Marcel was mad at your dad for something he didn't even do, but your dad decided to take the blame anyhow."

"But only you and me are free! Uncle Elijah and Uncle Kol are all still asleep. That's not a fair deal," Hope said with a scowl. Hayley suppressed a smile after hearing Hope's word choice to describe the situation.

"You're right, it's not a fair deal. That's why we're still trying very hard to wake them all up. After that, we can go save your dad," Hayley explained.

Hope was quiet for a moment and looked down at her blankets. Her eyes wandered to the metal bracelet that hid her powers and she twisted it on her wrist. Last year, Hope took it off and accidentally blew up all of the light bulbs in the hotel room, so Hayley had to tell her she was witch. She wanted to keep the wolf part a secret at least a year or two more.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Hayley asked as she tucked some hair behind her ear. Hope looked up at her with those big eyes again and frowned.

"Why is Marcel after us? Doesn't he have what he wants? Why do I have to keep my magic hidden from him?" Hope asked. Hayley hesitated to answer because frankly, she didn't know what to say. Hayley tried not to keep her in the dark, but she didn't exactly want to tell her seven-year-old daughter that a man was trying to murder the only four relatives she knew.

"Well… see Marcel was trying to hurt your Aunts and Uncles. Your dad made sure that we got away before he could do anything, but now he still wants to hurt them. We have to keep your magic hidden so he can't use other witches to track us down," Hayley explained.

"Well that's just rude!" Hope exclaimed. Hayley grinned at her little pout and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"I agree, but it's way past your bedtime now, so it's time to go to sleep," Hayley said before getting off of Hope's bed. Hope snuggled into her blankets and pulled Wolfy close to her.

"I hope we wake them up soon. I know you miss Uncle Elijah. Goodnight, Mom. I love you," Hope said before closing her eyes. Hayley's heart lurched at the mention of Elijah's name, especially coming from her daughter's mouth. Hope had found her crying with Elijah's casket open once, so Hayley had to explain to her how they were "very special friends". It was a bit awkward to say the least.

"I love you, honey. Goodnight. Sweet dreams," Hayley said before shutting the light off and cracking the door open. Hope was still getting over her 'scared of the dark' phase, but Hayley didn't mind. She wanted to keep her as innocent as she possibly could.

Hayley walked down the stairs towards the kitchen and immediately opened the fridge to find the wine. She grabbed the bottle and a glass from the cupboard next to the fridge before walking over to where the fire was raging in the fireplace. Hayley poured herself a glass and sipped it slowly as she gazed into the flames.

After leaving New Orleans, Hayley didn't know what to do. Her first thought was to drive to Mystic Falls seeing as that was one of the only other supernatural-filled towns she knew about and actually knew people from, but that was a bust. It had been overrun by crazy witch-vampires and Hayley sure as hell wasn't bringing her daughter into that mess.

For the next two years, she jumped around a lot. She tried visiting some of the areas inhabited by the wolf packs she stayed with when she was younger, but most had moved on. That is, until she got lucky. She found some remaining members of the North East Atlantic bloodline, one of the seven original bloodlines she desperately needed blood from. They were able to lead her to one of the last remaining original members who gladly gave a healthy sample of their blood after hearing about her situation. There also may have been a bit of intimidation persuasion that happened, but she got it nonetheless.

From there, she was able to gain information about other packs. She was also able to find herself a witch who could syphon magic, allowing her to finally wake up Rebekah. With the two of them working together, they were able to cover way more ground. It turns out the witch able to syphon magic knew a coven that specialized in in poisons and antidotes. Thus, Freya was saved and their number grew to four.

For the past year, the three of them had been hunting down the remaining five original bloodlines, now only down to their last bloodline. They had been hard to track down. Freya and Rebekah were out now following up on a lead, but the last five tips they had gotten proved to be dead ends. Part of Hayley wondered if anyone from the original bloodline was still alive, but she forced herself to keep hoping. She couldn't give up. Not while they were so close.

Hayley poured herself another glass just as the front door to their small house opened. Currently, they were staying in a for-sale house along the coast of Oregon that Hayley had compelled a realtor to stop showing for the time being. Freya and Rebekah walked through the front door drenched in water.

"How'd it go?" Hayley asked. Rebekah gave her a look that said 'don't ask' and simply stomped her to her bedroom. Freya, on the other hand, sighed and flung off her boots and rain coat before joining Hayley on the adjacent chair by the fire. Hayley offered her glass to Freya, but she shook her head and reached for the bottle instead. After taking a long pull, she put it back on the table and rubbed her temples.

"We keep being led to packs with the bloodline in them, but not a single pure member. I'm starting to think Lucien may have done a good job wiping them all out," Freya muttered. Hayley sighed and took a sip of her wine.

"I was just thinking that too. Do you think the spell would work if the blood wasn't pure? I mean, it would have the original bloodline in it, right?" Hayley asked hopefully, but Freya just shook her head.

"It would be too diluted. Lucien was careful when he got pure blood. Our only shot at curing Elijah and Kol is finding this last original pack," Freya said.

"Then we bloody torture one of the other ones until they lead us there!" Rebekah exclaimed as she returned from her bedroom. "I'm sure they know something; they just don't want to give up any information that's not going to help one of their own."

"We aren't torturing innocent wolves," Hayley said for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Well, I don't know what else to do!" Rebekah said in frustration. She entered the room with two more glasses and another bottle of wine, an act that made both Freya and Hayley smile.

"Might as well get drunk then," she said as she filled her glass almost to the brim. Hayley grinned at her and proceeded to fill her and Freya's glasses as well. Hayley held her glass up towards the fire and looked at the two women.

"Here's to better luck tomorrow… and praying we don't have massive hangovers in the morning," Hayley said. The two girls raised their glasses as well and the trio shared a laugh before taking a lengthy sip of their drinks.

As the night wore on, and the alcohol continued to be poured, the three began to reflect on their missing family.

"I can't wait to hear what sarcastic comment Kol has ready for us as soon as we wake him up," Freya said with a grin. The two had conquered their differences about Davina while trapped in the dream land Freya had created for them, and they had gotten quite close.

"I can't wait to see Elijah," Rebekah said hopefully. "Not that I'll be the first face he wants to see." Hayley blushed as the two sisters looked knowingly at her.

"I think sister trumps two-time hook-up," Hayley said jokingly. Rebekah rolled her eyes and Freya simply stared at her.

"Oh, shut it! _You_ didn't have to look at him pine over you for three years in dream world. We've only been a part two years. Trust me, we've been apart for _much_ longer periods of time thanks to our dear brother," Rebekah countered. The mention of Klaus quickly sobered the three up and the atmosphere noticeably darkened.

"As much as I miss Kol and Elijah, and as much as I want to kill him sometimes… I miss him," Freya whispered.

"Me too," Rebekah said. Hayley stared at the bottom of her wine glass and closed her eyes.

"So do I. So does Hope. She doesn't really know him, but I tell her stories and she connects to him. She loves that little wolf he gave her when she was a baby," Hayley said. She paused for a moment and looked into the fire thoughtfully. "She's so much like him already."

The silence was disrupted by loud knocking at the door. The three of them were immediately on their feet and ready to throw themselves at whatever was at the door. Hayley positioned herself in front of the stairs leading up to Hope's room as Rebekah approached the door. She opened it slowly only to find a young man at the door.

"Who the hell are you?" Rebekah snarled at the man.

"Someone who knows where to find the last original member of the Deep Water pack," he said. Rebekah stepped away from the door so Hayley and Freya could get a look at him.

"The name's Tobias. Which one of you is Hayley Kenner?"


	2. The Last Link

Hayley retrieved four mugs from the cabinet and proceeded to fill each of them with coffee. She passed them out to those occupying the kitchen table and sat down across from their visitor.

"I'm sorry to hear about Jackson… I didn't know him or anything, but your unification ceremony changed my life. It changed everyone's," Tobias said before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Thank you," Hayley said. "I didn't know packs out this far even heard about it let alone attended the ceremony."

"Oh, yeah word travels fast. That's why when I heard you and your friends were looking for a royal of the Deep Water pack, I figured I had to help," he explained.

"Are you part of their pack?" Freya asked. Tobias looked up at her and shook his head.

"No, but my grandfather is. My grandmother was part of the Malroux though, so I'm a fourth royal you could say," he said with a chuckle. Hayley smiled recalling how ridiculous the notion had seemed to her when Klaus called her 'Queen'. The purity of bloodlines and royalty was highly regarded and respected by the packs, so even someone like Tobias would be respected greatly.

"Well, let's go pay gramps a visit! I've got two desiccated brothers downstairs that need a little wake up call," Rebekah said. Tobias looked from Rebekah to Hayley before furrowing his brow.

"Listen, I said I wanted to help you, but I can't exactly just let you waltz up and meet one of the last remaining Deep Water royals. It's dangerous right now. There's still vampires trying to hunt us down and last time any of us got mixed up with vampires, Originals were involved."

"Oh, bloody hell," Rebekah said before going to lock the front door.

"Well, it's a little too late to avoid that last part," Freya said with a resigned smile. Tobias's eyes grew about three times their normal size before he stumbled backwards out of his seat.

"You're… you're _Originals_?" he asked obviously petrified. Hayley felt kind of bad for him. The poor guy was trying to be nice after all.

"This is Freya and Rebekah Mikaelson. You're welcome to say hello to Elijah and Kol, but they've been asleep for the past five years which is why we need your help," Hayley tried to explain.

"Fuck that! What the hell? I didn't know you were involved with Originals!" Tobias sputtered out as he backed away from them.

"Hey, can you keep it down? My daughter is asleep," Hayley said forcefully. Tobias frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"You're really out of the loop, aren't you?" Freya asked. "Sit down. We aren't going to hurt you."

"Unless you don't cooperate, in which case I will have no problem tearing your pretty little head off," Rebekah said sweetly. Hayley glared at her from her seat, but Rebekah just shrugged. Tobias looked at Hayley wide-eyed and open-mouthed searching for an explanation as to why she would be in the company of the Original family.

"Please. If what Jackson and I did for you really means that much, the least you can do is sit down and let us explain," Hayley pleaded. Tobias shut his mouth and glanced from Freya to Rebekah to Hayley, obviously still skeptical. "I promise, we're not here to fight anyone."

He looked at Hayley for a moment before taking a deep breath and slowly walking back to his seat. He kept a wary eye on Rebekah who was currently inspecting kitchen knives, but turned to Hayley and nodded.

* * *

"So you want me to help you get the blood of my grandfather in order to wake up two more Originals so all of you can go save Klaus Mikaelson from the most powerful hybrid in existence?" Tobias asked.

"Pretty much," Hayley replied.

"You're shitting me, right? You really think any wolf would help you guys?" Tobias asked with a laugh.

"Well, considering we've succeeded in getting blood of six of the seven original bloodlines, I'd say yeah, one way or another," Hayley countered. Tobias shook his head and stood up.

"I'm sorry, there's no way. Even if I wanted to help, my grandfather definitely wouldn't. He _hates_ vampires. Especially Originals," Tobias growled in Rebekah's direction who raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

"Hayley, you don't mind if I make myself a snack right now, do you? I'm rather famished," she said before baring her fangs at the wolf. He looked at her angrily, obviously ready to fight which wasn't a good choice for his wellbeing.

"I'm not afraid of you," he spat before his eyes glowed a sinister shade of yellow. Rebekah laughed before launching herself at the man who was just about to do the same, but both were stopped in their tracks.

"ENOUGH!" Freya yelled as she forced the two apart with her magic. The two glared at each other, still ready to rip each other's throats out, but a small voice made everyone in the room freeze.

"Mom?" Hope said. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs with Wolfy clutched to her side. Hayley rushed over to her and kneeled down in front of her, trying to shield her from seeing the ordeal taking place in the kitchen.

"What's wrong, Hope?" Hayley asked gently. Hope peered over her shoulder at Tobias who looked at her as if he had just seen a ghost.

"The thunder woke me up and I tried to go back to sleep, but then I heard yelling downstairs…" she said quietly, obviously trying not to cry. Hayley collected the little girl in her arms and picked her up.

"I'm sorry, baby. Your Aunt Rebekah and our new friend don't know how to use their inside voices," Hayley said, looking pointedly at the two of them. Their eyes had both gone back to normal and the tension in the room had thankfully broken.

"So… this is your daughter? The daughter of Klaus Mikaelson?" Tobias asked softly. The man was stunned beyond belief, which was understandable. Not every day you meet the offspring of the most vicious hybrid of all time.

"Yes, this is Hope," Hayley said. "Hope, say hello to Tobias." She walked towards him with Hope still in her arms.

"Hello," Hope said quietly.

"Uh, hi," Tobias said with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Are you going to help us save my dad?" Hope asked him. Tobias's expression immediately dropped as he watched Hope's eyes grow big and pleading. Hayley chuckled inwardly knowing that he had no choice now. The girl was good. Tobias looked up at Hayley who merely shrugged at him.

"You try telling her no. See how it goes for you."

Tobias looked around the room once more trying to decide what to do. All three of the women had smug expressions plastered on their faces knowing there was no way in hell he could turn them down now. Resigned and downright tired, he looked back at Hope and sighed.

"Yeah, kid, I guess I'm gonna try," he replied with a small smile. Hope nodded at him and turned her head to look back at Hayley.

"Mom? Can I sleep with you tonight?" Hope asked with the same puppy dog expression. Hayley kissed her forehead and chuckled.

"Yes. Go hop in bed. I'll be there in a few minutes, I promise," Hayley said as she put her down on the ground. Hope began walking towards Hayley's room, but stopped in her tracks. She turned and walked right up to Tobias.

"Thank you," she said to him. Tobias smiled warmly at her and nodded.

"You're welcome," he replied. Hope scurried over to Freya who bent down to give her a hug and kiss goodnight before doing the same with Rebekah.

"Goodnight, munchkin. See you in the morning," Rebekah said before releasing Hope to run back to Hayley's room. The four of them stood in silence before Tobias spoke.

"Well, that was…" he began.

"Almost normal?" Hayley finished for him.

"Not even close," he laughed. "But… you're not who I thought you were. I will help you, but you have to promise to leave as soon as you get what you need. Not everyone is going to share my same sentiment nor do I want the rep of sympathizing with vampires, or Originals for that matter."

"All we need is a vial of blood and we're gone. I promise," Hayley said. He looked at her with a wary expression, but nodded.

"Alright, let me make a call."

* * *

"Tell me why I have to bring my daughter to meet your grandfather again?" Hayley said obviously frustrated with the situation. Tobias had called his grandfather last night and explained the situation. He agreed to meet with Hayley only if she brought Hope, and made it clear that he wasn't promising anything.

"Because one, he doesn't think anyone would be stupid enough to sleep with Klaus Mikaelson," Tobias said with a grin, to which Hayley rolled her eyes. "And two… well, frankly he doesn't believe it. My grandfather is a strange man, but he's wise. He's not easily outsmarted and he takes his heritage very seriously. He just wants to make sure he knows the full story."

"All I'm saying is if anyone even _looks_ at her funny, I'll rip their head off myself," Hayley growled. Tobias put his hands up in surrender and chuckled.

"No one's going to touch her, I promise. They're decent people. They're probably going to be a little freaked out, but can you really blame them?" he asked.

"No, I guess not," Hayley muttered. Tobias flashed another smile at her and leaned back against the counter.

"It's also probably a good thing you're leaving the two Originals here. I can't say what would happen if they showed up," he laughed. Hayley smirked at him as they in the kitchen. Tobias was waiting on a phone call from his grandfather to let him know when to make their way over to the pack's hideout.

"What are the other two like? Elijah and Kol?" Tobias asked. Hayley smiled thinking about them. They were both so incredibly different. She didn't know Kol quite as well as she knew the other Mikaelson siblings, but behind that hard exterior, he loved his family just as much as the others.

"Kol is well… he's a bit selfish. He's sarcastic, mischievous, and a bit of an ass, but he'd do anything for the people he loves. And Elijah… he's the opposite. He's selfless, kind, and puts his family before anyone else. He's the best man I've ever met," Hayley said softly. Damn she missed him. The thought of seeing him again both petrified and excited her at the same time. Part of her wondered if things would be the same between them. Well, nothing would be the same again, but she wondered if he still felt what she did. Her heart and her body longed for him. To hold him, to kiss him, to tell him how much she loved him…

"So you slept with one brother and are in love with another? That's a little awkward, isn't it?" Tobias asked. Hayley glared at him, but couldn't keep the blush down that had risen in her cheeks.

"It's complicated," Hayley mumbled. Tobias snickered, ready to tease her more, but his phone rang before he could.

"Hello? Yeah, okay… I know the place... We'll see you then… Okay, bye." Tobias ended the call before looking up at Hayley and raising his eyebrows. "You ready?"

"Yeah, let me just call Hope down," Hayley said as she walked to the stairs. "Hope? We're ready to go!"

The sound of footsteps traveled down the upstairs hallway and down the stairs. Hope bounded down the steps with a smile and waved to Tobias happily.

"Let's go!" Hope exclaimed. Hayley smiled at her daughter, but couldn't help but feel apprehensive about the whole situation. She didn't know what she was walking into and it didn't sit well with her. Regardless, she had to do this. She had to do whatever it took to save the rest of her family.

The three hopped in Tobias's truck and he pulled out of the driveway, heading towards some unknown location. They were silent as Tobias drove down a few familiar streets, but Hayley began to grow even more hesitant as he pulled on to a dirt road that lead into the woods.

"Where are we going?" Hayley asked Tobias. He looked over at her and saw the uneasiness on her face.

"Oh, it's my parents old cabin. He didn't want to meet you where the pack lives. Too dangerous, you know?" he explained. That curbed some of Hayley's nervousness, but she still couldn't relax. This was the first time Hope had been involved in anything like this and Hayley was terrified.

The truck drove deep into the woods for a few minutes until it approached a rustic looking cabin. It appeared to have not been lived in for several years now. There was moss growing on the front porch, chipped paint on the side of the cabin, and part of the gutter hung off of the edge of roof.

"Damn, your parents don't do much upkeep, do they?" Hayley murmured. Tobias adjusted his grip on the steering wheel and cleared his throat.

"They, uh, died when I was a kid," Tobias said quietly. Hayley looked over at him as he parked the car, but he just kept his head down. She reached out and touched his arm as an apology.

"I'm sorry. Mine were killed when I was young, too," Hayley said softly. He gave her a small smile before unbuckling himself and turning off the engine. As soon as he got out of the car, Hayley turned back to Hope and looked at her seriously.

"Hope, if something goes wrong, I want you to take off your bracelet and do whatever you have to do, okay?" Hayley said. Hope nodded at her mom and unbuckled herself. The two got out of the car and joined Tobias in front of the door to the cabin. He smiled warmly at both of them and opened the door.

The three of them entered the cabin and found a rather elderly man sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by four large men who Hayley assumed to be wolves. The old man had grey hair that fell down past his shoulders and a deep set of green eyes. His skin was tanned and showed damage from years in the sun. It was rather odd for someone who lived in Oregon. He looked at Hayley with a curious expression before his eyes turned to Hope. A look of astonishment flashed across his face, but it then returned to normal.

"Please, why don't you have a seat?" he said in a thick accent. Well, that explained the skin color. He must be a descendant of the Native Americans that occupied this part of the country hundreds of years ago.

Hayley reached down towards Hope who grabbed her hand. Tobias walked in front of them and approached his grandfather, leaning down to embrace the older man. Hope and Hayley sat down in the two chairs across from the man as Tobias stood off to the side.

"So, you've come seeking blood from a royal member of the Deep Water pack in order to release three Original vampires from imprisonment. Is that correct?" the man asked matter-of-factly.

"That's a good summary, yeah," Hayley said. The man looked from Hayley to Hope and a brief smile appeared on his face.

"And you, little one, are the daughter of Klaus Mikaelson?" he asked Hope.

"Yes, my name is Hope. What's your name?" she asked politely. The older man raised his eyebrows and the smile grew wider.

"My name is Aku," he replied.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Aku."

Hayley hoped that Hope's politeness had persuaded Aku that her daughter was not a threat, but her guard was still up. The men in the room were staring at her like she was a rag doll ready to be played with and there was something about Aku that made her believe he wasn't just going to give them his blood and let them be on their way.

"Hayley Marshall Kenner. I do wonder if you remember me," he said.

"I do. You were at the unification ceremony," Hayley responded. He had seemed familiar when she walked in the room, and knowing that Tobias had been affected by the ceremony, she figured Aku must have attended as well.

"Yes, yes. I am sorry to hear about Jackson. He was a good man. Good leader as well," Aku said sadly.

"Yes, he was. Thank you."

No one spoke for a few minutes. Hayley could see Hope getting restless as her legs began to swing back and forth beneath her chair, and her eyes wandered around the room. Hayley glanced back up at Aku and saw he was just _staring_. It was starting to make her uncomfortable.

"Look, not to be rude or anything, but what exactly do you want?" Hayley asked impatiently. Aku eyed her wearily and clasped his hands together on top of the table.

"I came here because I, along with many of my people, owe my life to you. However, I do not like the Mikaelsons. They wreak havoc wherever they go and have killed many wolves in the process. But you know this already," Aku said. Hayley didn't reply, but she didn't need to. He had a point.

"I was curious to see what the offspring of Klaus Mikaelson would be like," he continued, looking at Hope. "I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised."

He turned his attention back to Hayley and leaned back in his chair. A smile appeared on his face that made Hayley's stomach flip. She looked over to see that Hope already had a delicate hand placed on her bracelet. Hayley could sense the four men barely inch closer to them, but the movement was there nonetheless.

"Hope is part witch, isn't she? I do wonder what it would be like to have control of such a person. Part-witch, part-wolf... part-vampire."

Hayley's eyes just about popped out of her head. Hope. He wanted Hope.

"Give me the girl, and you'll have my blood."


	3. Revelations

" _Give me the girl, and you'll have my blood."_

"You're a fucking lunatic," Hayley whispered, staring at the man in front of her. Aku chuckled at her response and continued to grin.

"You should really watch your language. Children are present."

"If you think for one second that I would _give you my daughter_ , you're insane," Hayley growled. She could tell her eyes were flashing yellow, but she also felt the familiar dark veins pop out beneath her eyes. He had activated something primal in her that she hadn't felt in years, and she couldn't lie: it felt good.

"Grandfather, what are you-" Tobias began, but one of the guards clamped a hand over his mouth and put him in a headlock. Aku stood up and leaned over the table towards Hayley with a menacing look in his eye.

"Do you really think I would help the Original family? Whatever harm that they endure is nothing close to what they deserve," he spat at Hayley. "She is a weapon, and if they are brought back, she will bring them to their knees in front of me."

"You say one more word about my daughter, and there won't be a bargain; I'll just take what I came for," Hayley threatened. A flash of yellow appeared across his eyes and Hayley heard him emit a deep growl. Several things happened next.

For starters, Tobias reached behind him and slammed a vase into the head of the guard holding him, causing him to loosen his grip enough for Tobias escape. Hope had removed her bracelet and in an act of rage sent two of the guards flying through the cabin wall. Aku lunged at Hayley and tackled her to the floor. Then Freya and Rebekah, who had been tailing them ever since they left the house, barged in the front door.

Rebekah vamped over to the one of the guards fighting Tobias and snapped his neck while Tobias took a healthy bite out of the other one's neck. Freya ran towards Hope and scooped her up, but not before snapping the necks of the other two guards that had managed to stumble back through the broken wall. That left Hayley and Aku.

For his old age, the man was a damn good fighter. He had gotten Hayley in the stomach and the knee, but she had bitten him in the neck and punched him square in the jaw. Hayley threw him across the room into the adjacent wall and he struggled to stand, but Hayley helped him out with that. She vamped over and held him up against the wall by his neck before plunging her hand into his chest and ripping out his heart. His body slumped to the ground and Hayley stood there trying to catch her breath.

Well, at least she would get the blood she needed. Hayley bent down and filled the vile that was in her pocket. She screwed the cap on and put it back in her pocket before standing and turning around. Only then had she realized what she had done.

Rebekah and Freya looked at her worriedly. Tobias held himself up on the table, trying not to break down. Hayley had just ripped his grandfather's heart out in front of his very eyes.

"Tobias, I…" she began, but that's when she saw Hope. Her daughter. Her little girl. Her baby. She stared at Hayley with wide, scared eyes. She clung to Freya horrified about what she had just seen. Seven years old and she had just seen five people murdered, and her mother had been a part of it.

Hayley looked down at her hands and stared at them. They were covered with blood. It wasn't something that had never happened to her, but it had been quite a while since she lost this much control. She began to shake as she looked from Tobias to Hope, trying with her eyes to explain how sorry she was. But it wasn't enough. Nothing she could say could fix this.

"We need to leave," Rebekah said. She nodded at Hayley and started to walk towards the door. Hayley's gaze shifted back to Hope, but she buried her head in Freya's shoulder. Freya looked at Hayley with apologetic eyes, but followed Rebekah as well. That left Hayley standing in a bloody mess as Tobias stood shaken in the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry," Hayley tried to say. She choked on her words and could feel her throat closing up.

"I-I didn't know he was going to do that…" Tobias said. He looked up at Hayley with glassy eyes and shook his head. " _I'm_ sorry."

"We need to leave," Hayley said softly. Tobias nodded, but slowly moved towards one of the drawers in the kitchen. He rummaged around for a minute before he found what he was looking for. Making his way over to the living room, Tobias bent down and turned on a lighter before setting one of the curtains on fire.

"No evidence this way," he muttered. Hayley felt her stomach drop. This was his parents' home. Before she could say anything, he walked out the door and started the truck. Hayley watched the flames reach the ceiling before she turned and followed him out the door. They pulled out of the driveway and drove speedily down the dirt road as Hayley watched the cabin burn down in the side view mirror. She watched the orange flames engulf the house until it was out of view.

The two drove in silence the entire way home. Not that Hayley was looking to make conversation or anything, but she wanted to talk to him. She felt horrible. Here he was trying to do something nice and instead, he lost everything. It seemed to be a trend with people that got close to her and the Mikaelsons.

As Tobias parked the car, Hayley turned to him. "Do you need a place to stay?"

"No, there's actually something I need to go do," he replied. Hayley nodded and put her hand on the handle of the car door, but paused.

"Tobias, I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen to you," Hayley said softly. He didn't say anything, but nodded as he looked ahead.

"I know that's not going to change anything, and neither is this, but I want to thank you too. For sticking your neck out for people you don't even know… you're a good man."

Tobias turned towards Hayley and tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but he couldn't, so he just nodded again and blinked back tears.

"Just know, if you're ever in any trouble, the Mikaelsons and I will be here to protect you. They owe you their lives," Hayley said. She looked at him once more before opening the door and jumping out of the car. She shut the door behind her, but didn't look back at another innocent man who had suffered just by being acquaintances with the Mikaelsons.

Hayley practically ran in the house, not bothering to see if Tobias had left. Her only concern was her daughter now.

"Where's Hope?" Hayley asked as she strode through the house. Rebekah appeared by the stairs and held her hands up.

"Woah, she's upstairs with Freya. You might want to shower before you go see her…" Rebekah said. Hayley was about to argue with her, but looking down at her hands again, she thought better of it. She nodded at Rebekah and took off towards her bedroom.

Hayley closed the door behind her and let out a shaky breath. What the hell was she thinking? Did she have no self-control anymore? She sighed in frustration as she began to strip out of her clothes. They clung to her slightly, still damp with fresh blood. She threw her shirt into the trash along with her jeans. Then she walked over to the safe in the closet and placed the last vial of blood next to the others before closing the door.

Hayley turned on the shower and threw the rest of her clothes on the floor before stepping into the hot stream of water. She scrubbed viciously at her skin not wanting to miss any blood on her. Hope had seen enough of that today. Thinking of her daughter's terrified face, Hayley's eyes began to water. What kind of mother does what she did?

She soon found herself sitting on the bottom of the bath tub sobbing into her hands. She cried because she probably just scarred her daughter for life and feared that she wouldn't want anything to do with her anymore. She cried because she killed Tobias's grandfather in front of him in the most brutal way possible. She cried because she was so scared that, even though they had everything they needed, they wouldn't be able to wake up Elijah and Kol. She sat there for a while, not knowing or caring how long, until there was a soft knock at the door.

"Hayley? It's Freya… Hope's asking for you," Freya's muffled voice said from outside the door. Hayley's head snapped up and she immediately got up off of the floor.

"Tell her I'll be there in ten minutes," she replied. She shut the water off and jumped out of the shower as quick as possible. She ran a towel and brush through her hair, applied some moisturizer to her face, and threw on a pair of old sweat pants. She finished pulling a t-shirt over her head as she walked out the door and immediately upstairs.

Outside of Hope's door, she heard Rebekah's voice speaking softly to Hope. Hayley swallowed and tried to calm down. She shouldn't be so nervous. This was her daughter. Still… Hayley didn't know what the hell she was doing. She didn't know how to raise a kid let alone if she was doing a good job at it. Hope could hate her. She could never want to speak to her again. Hayley's hand shook as she placed it on the doorknob and opened it.

Hope was sitting up against her pillows under her purple blankets with Wolfy right beside her. Thankfully, she had changed into different clothes and taken a bath. Rebekah looked back at her and gave her a soft smile before turning back to Hope. She kissed the top of her head before standing up and walking to the door.

"I'll go fix dinner for her, okay?" she said softly. Hayley nodded and smiled softly. Rebekah squeezed her shoulder as she passed by and walked down the stairs. Hayley looked over at her daughter who was looking out at the window to the left of her bed. Hayley took a deep breath and walked over to sit on the edge of Hope's bed.

"Hi, sweetie," she said softly. Hope turned towards her and looked at her like she was looking at a stranger. Immediately Hayley's eyes began to well up with tears, but she held them back as best as she could.

"I am _so,_ so sorry you had to see that today," Hayley managed to say. "I never wanted you to have to see something so awful."

"It's okay. Aunt Freya and Aunt Rebekah told me that you were just scared that something bad was going to happen to me. I was scared too," Hope whispered. Her bottom lip began to tremble and Hayley's heart broke. She immediately crawled over and pulled Hope into her arms, regardless of the fact that Hope might not want her to. But all her worries went away when Hope wrapped her arms around her.

"I was. I was so scared of losing you," Hayley whispered. A single tear fell down Hayley's cheek, but she wiped it away not wanting Hope to see her cry. She held that little girl in her arms until she felt Hope's arms begin to loosen around her neck. The two pulled away and looked at each other for a moment before Hayley kissed her forehead. She leaned back against the pillows and let Hope stay curled up in her lap. She silently stroked and played with her brown curls before Hope spoke.

"Was Mr. Aku right about me being a wolf… and vampire?" she asked. Hayley stiffened, not sure how to answer, but Hope continued. "Because I know you're part-wolf and Dad is part-wolf, so that would make me part-wolf too, right?"

In that moment, Hayley realized that she couldn't hide it from her anymore. She had to tell her everything. After today, she couldn't keep any secrets from her. It was way too dangerous and if the truth didn't come from Hayley, Hope would grow to resent her.

"Well… it's complicated. You see, you're not a wolf yet, but you could be," Hayley explained. Hope turned towards her with questioning eyes and Hayley sighed.

"Your dad and I are something called hybrids. When we were born, we were both like you. We both had the potential to be wolves, but something bad had to happen for us to become wolves," Hayley said.

"What happened?" Hope asked curiously. Hayley took a deep breath and scooted around on the bed so she was facing her daughter.

"Honey, I'm going to tell you a lot of things right now. Some of them are scary and if you don't want to hear anymore, you just tell me, okay?" Hope nodded and Hayley took a deep breath.

"To become a wolf, you have to kill someone," Hayley said. Hope's expression wavered for a moment, but she stayed silent. "Now, your dad and I became wolves on accident. We never meant to hurt anyone, but we accidentally did."

"Now, here's the tricky part. You know how you and Aunt Freya are both witches?" Hayley asked. Hope nodded her head in response. "Well, your dad and I are something else. We're part wolf and part vampire."

"Like Dracula?" Hope said with a curious expression. "We're not pale though and we can walk in the sun!"

"Not quite like Dracula," Hayley said with a chuckle. "Most of that stuff is a lie."

"Do you drink blood?"

Hayley looked at her horrified, but Hope just made a disgusted face at her.

"MOM! That's _so_ gross!" she exclaimed. Hayley laughed purely out of relief that Hope didn't sprint out of the room. "Do _I_ have to drink blood?"

"Yeah, it is pretty gross. And no, not if you don't want to. Your Aunt Rebekah, Uncle Elijah, and Uncle Kol are all vampires too. Your dad and I are the only hybrids in the family," Hayley explained.

"So what am I?" she asked. Hayley pondered this. Hope was the first of her kind, so she really didn't know what to call her.

"A… tribrid?" Hayley said uncertainly, but Hope had already moved on.

"What about Marcel? What is he?" Hope asked.

"Marcel used to be a vampire, but with some magic, he turned into a hybrid too. But he turned into the most powerful hybrid in the world because instead of being from one wolf bloodline like your dad and I, he's from all seven bloodlines," Hayley said. "That's why we needed Aku's blood today. We're trying to defeat Marcel by taking away the wolf part of him."

Hope sat stunned and didn't talk for a while. Hayley brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and smiled. She looked like Klaus right now, silently thinking and brooding about all of the information Hayley had just given her.

"So what's really wrong with Dad? And Uncle Elijah and Uncle Kol?" Hope asked. "You said Marcel hurt them."

"He bit Uncle Elijah and Uncle Kol. When a vampire gets bitten by a wolf or hybrid, he needs their blood to heal. Since Marcel has all seven bloodlines in him, we have to create a cure with all seven bloodlines to heal them. Your dad… well, he just locked your dad away," Hayley said. That was one thing she wasn't willing to tell her daughter. She couldn't tell her he had been experiencing unbearable pain for the past five years. It would crush her.

"Dinner's ready!" Hayley heard Rebekah yelled from downstairs. Hayley yelled back a response before turning back to Hope and reaching for her little hands.

"We can talk more about this later if you want, but right now I'm _starving_ ," Hayley moaned jokingly.

"Me too! Let's go," Hope said. Hayley squeezed her hands and kissed her forehead.

"Love you, kiddo."

"Love you too, Mom."

Hope jumped out of bed and headed towards the door, but something caught Hayley's attention that made her stomach drop. There should've been a silver bracelet on Hope's left wrist, but it was bare.

"Hope, honey, where's your bracelet?" Hayley asked trying not to make sound as nervous as she felt. Hope brought her wrist up to her face before looking at her other hand. She slowly turned towards Hayley with wide eyes and shook her head.

"I think… I think I left it at the cabin," she whispered.

The cabin. The cabin that they burned down. Fuck.


	4. Reunion

**I threw a few funny Season 1 quotes between Hayley and Rebekah in there this time. Enjoy!**

"We need to wake them up _now_ ," Hayley said.

"Hayley, I don't know if I'm ready…" Freya said apprehensively.

"We don't have time to see if you're ready or not! The bracelet has been off of Hope for five hours now. Marcel's goons could be here by morning and running won't be able to help us now that the bracelet is gone."

"We don't even know if Marcel is still after us," Rebekah countered.

"Really? You think after our last encounter eight months ago he just decided to give up?" Hayley asked. "We don't have any more time to spare."

As soon as Hayley realized the bracelet was gone, she ran to her room and grabbed the vials of blood and the rest of the materials for Freya's spell that had been sitting in her safe for years now. She had laid them all out on the kitchen table and told Rebekah and Freya about the missing bracelet before demanding that Freya needed to perform the spell.

"Hayley, you can't push her! What if something goes wrong and the past five years you've spent looking for the wolves mean _nothing_? We must be sure, or we'll lose them forever," Rebekah tried to explain. Hayley couldn't think straight. She knew what Rebekah was saying made sense, but she couldn't take any chances. The thought of anything happening to Hope scared her to death. Hayley collapsed into the kitchen table chair and put her head in her hands.

"I know, you're right, I just… we can't do nothing," Hayley whispered.

"What if I help Aunt Freya?" a voice said. Hayley looked up to find her daughter staring at her.

"Wha-what?" Hayley stuttered.

"I'm a witch too, right? And I already know I use magic, so what if Aunt Freya teaches me how to do it?"

"Honey, it's dangerous. I can't let you do that," Hayley tried to explain, but Hope crossed her arms and frowned.

"So was today! But I helped. I threw those bad guys through the side of the cabin!" she argued.

"Hope, it's not up for discussion. You're staying far away from whatever your aunt is doing," Hayley said.

"No!" Hope yelled. As her voice rose, a lightbulb from the lamp in the living room exploded. Hayley jumped out of her chair and looked down at her stubborn daughter.

"Hope Mikaelson, you calm down right now!" Hayley yelled back at her.

"Do you see? I have power. I _can_ help!" she continued to yell. Hayley pinched the bridge of her nose trying not to yell again.

"I know you have power, but it's dangerous. You could get hurt," Hayley tried to explain.

"No, I won't. Aunt Freya won't let me, right?" Hope said as she looked up at her aunt. Freya tried to give her a reassuring smile, but she was sure it wasn't too convincing.

"Hope, sweetie, why don't you go get ready for bed so I can talk to your mom and aunt for a bit, okay?" Freya asked softly. Hope's face fell, but she nodded nonetheless and went upstairs like she was told.

"Hayley-"

"No."

"Hear me out-"

"Not a chance in hell, Freya. I think one scare is enough for today, don't you?" Hayley asked.

"Hayley, listen to her," Rebekah pleaded.

"No, you don't get it, she's not your daughter." The minute Hayley said it, she regretted it.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me I don't get it. You do forget that I raised her the first year of her life! And it's not like Freya and I aren't here for her every bloody day, especially on a day like today!" Rebekah yelled. The last comment hurt, but Hayley deserved it. She was right. Rebekah had wanted a child and human life before anyone, and she had gotten to live that dream with Hope.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," Hayley said sincerely. "I just… I can't lose her."

"Hayley, do you think I would let anything at all happen to that little girl?" Freya asked. "I was going to suggest that I do the spell. I'll use all the power I possibly can, but if I need her, she could back me up."

Hayley pondered this for a moment. Dahlia had said she would have great power. Hayley knew this from experience of course, but combining all the elements of being a witch, werewolf, and vampire could truly do some remarkable things. Still… Hayley was hesitant.

"I just… I don't know," Hayley sighed.

"Hayley… I know it's hard, but I honestly don't think I can do this on my own. We only have one shot at this," Freya said. Hayley looked up at her and saw the desperation on her face. Rebekah looked at her pointedly. This was the only way.

"Okay."

* * *

Hayley watched from the side of the table as Freya, Hope, and Rebekah set out the materials they would need for the spell. Hayley didn't know what the hell they were doing, but she had forgotten that Rebekah had been in a witch's body for quite a long time. Freya and Rebekah were teaching Hope small things as they set up for the spell, but it only made Hayley more anxious. Rebekah glanced up from where she was working and noticed Hayley's uneasiness. She walked over to her and gently took her hand in her own.

"Freya is the most skilled witch in the world after my mother. She's also the most powerful after your daughter. She loves Hope. Nothing is going to happen to her, Hayley," Rebekah assured her. Hayley tried to force a smile on her face, but she couldn't. She thought she was going to be sick.

"I keep going over it in my head, and it all makes sense there, but I can't help but worry, you know? That's my baby girl," Hayley sighed. Rebekah nodded and pulled Hayley into a hug. She rubbed her back reassuringly before breaking away.

"I told you once: us girls have to stick together. That includes her now, too," Rebekah said. Hayley smiled at the memory. Rebekah was the first real friend she had in New Orleans besides Elijah, but he never really fit into the 'friend' category.

"For the record, I still think you're a bitch," Hayley whispered causing Rebekah to grin foolishly.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't. Alright, ladies, let's get this show on the road!" Rebekah announced to the room.

The four of them were standing in the basement with Elijah and Kol's caskets so that they could immediately administer the cure if it worked. 'If' was too big of a word tonight.

"Okay, we're ready. Hope, you remember the incantations I taught you, right?" Freya asked. Hope nodded and repeated a phrase of mumbo jumbo that didn't make sense to Hayley, but was obviously correct seeing as Freya smiled at her encouragingly.

"Hope?" Hayley called out. "Just… just be safe okay? If anything doesn't feel right or starts to hurt, you stop immediately."

"I'll be okay, Mom. I promise," she said strongly. Hayley smiled at her, but immediately grabbed Rebekah's hand for support. Her pseudo-sister squeezed her hand in response.

"Remember sweetie, you _only_ start those incantations if I tell you to, okay? Too much power could fry the entire spell, so just wait to see if I need you," Freya said. Hope nodded and reached out her hands across the table. Freya grabbed on to them and closed her eyes. Here we go.

" _An et ne van ça le eu. Che ke ça le aun. An et ne van ça le eu. Che ke ça le aun…_ " Freya chanted. Hayley's eyes drifted to Hope whose eyes were closed, but showed no signs of struggle. In fact, she looked completely relaxed.

Freya's chanting became slightly louder as the materials on the table began to gradually move and mix together in the shallow bowl in the middle of it all. However, they weren't mixing together cohesively which Hayley knew was a bad sign. Freya's chanting got louder and more powerful, and some of the materials began to mix more, but it was obvious it wasn't working.

Freya was yelling by now, and the bowl was slowly turning, but it wasn't enough. Hayley knew Hope would have to step in. She grasped Rebekah's hand tightly and internally pleaded for the spell to do _something_ more, but it wouldn't. Freya's yelling stayed strong, but Hayley could see the blood begin to drip from her nose. She needed help.

"Hope, do it now!"

Immediately Hope's voice joined in with Freya's and everything seemed to start moving. The bowl started spinning faster and faster until Hayley thought it was going to fly right off of the table. The contents inside erupted into flames and Rebekah had to restrain Hayley from intervening. The rhythmic sounds of Freya and Hope's chanting got louder and louder until the flames reached the ceiling. The room began to shake and Hayley could see the whites of both of their eyes. Hayley closed her eyes willing for the whole damn thing to be over.

And then it was.

Hayley's eyes flew open and she found Freya passed out on the ground with Hope gently trying to nudge her awake. Hayley rushed over to her daughter and scooped her up, squeezing her tightly.

"Mom, you're crushing me! We have to help Aunt Freya," Hope whined as she struggled to get loose from her mom. Hayley attacked her face with kisses which intensely annoyed Hope, but she let it go.

" _You_ are never doing that again. I think I may have just had a mild heart attack and I am too young for that business," Hayley said.

"Did it work?" a tired voice said. Freya was slowly sitting up with help from Rebekah. She looked absolutely drained from the whole ordeal. Hope wriggled out of Hayley's arms and ran to hug Freya.

"Yes! I felt it work! That was _so_ cool. You're going to have to teach me more magic," Hope babbled. "Do you need anything? I'm gonna get you some water."

As Hope ran up the stairs to the kitchen, Hayley and Rebekah helped Freya stand up. Hayley immediately pulled her into an embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered. Freya smiled at her, but it dropped when she looked up the stairs.

"Hayley… she has more power than either of us know," she whispered. "I know you don't want her to get hurt, but I think Dahlia was right. If she doesn't learn to control it, she could be consumed by it."

"Then teach her," Hayley said. "There's no one I trust more."

"Here, Aunt Freya!" Hope exclaimed as she held up her favorite pink cup. Freya took it from her gratefully and drank deeply.

"Well, now that we've taken care of the witchy stuff, why don't we say hello to our favorite brothers?" Rebekah said with a devilish grin. Hayley had almost forgotten what they were doing in the first place. She had been so concerned for Hope's safety that she didn't even think about seeing Elijah. Until now.

Freya poured the liquid in the bowl into two smaller dishes and retrieved the blood bags she had brought down with her. She handed Hayley a bowl and two bags, who took them with shaking hands.

"Mom, you're gonna spill it," Hope said before taking the bowl from her hand. Hayley barely noticed. Her eyes were focused on the silver casket in front of her. She hadn't opened it in months and now she was going to see him in the flesh. Maybe.

"Freya, what if it doesn't work?" Hayley asked worriedly. Hope answered before Freya could even open her mouth.

"It worked. I felt it."

Hope's small hand worked its way into Hayley's hand and she led her to Elijah's casket. Hope tried with all of her might to open it, but just didn't have the strength. Taking a deep breath, Hayley opened the lid.

"Why is he _blue_?" Hope asked, obviously freaked out.

Rebekah said something in response, but Hayley didn't hear it. She didn't hear anything. All she could focus on was him. Despite the obvious effects of hunger, it was still him. Elijah Mikaelson lay out before her ready to come back. Hayley placed a gentle hand on top of his own. His skin was cold, but the hand was familiar. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in and composed herself. It was now or never.

"Bex, are you sure-"

"I've had the pleasure of waking him up many times before now. Trust me; you do it," she replied. "Freya, Hope, why don't we see how our dear Kol is doing?"

Hope tugged on Hayley's hand and offered the bowl to her. Hayley smiled and bent down to hug her daughter once more.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you, too."

Hayley took the antidote from Hope who smiled at her before scurrying over to where Freya, Rebekah, and Kol were. Hayley silently thanked Rebekah for calling Hope over. She didn't know if she could do this with Hope by her side.

Carefully, Hayley positioned the bowl right above Elijah's lips and poured. She made sure not to flood his mouth, but she was sure he would swallow considering there was a small amount of blood in the mixture. She watched as his face and throat showed the first signs of movement. He had swallowed. Hayley got so excited that she nearly poured the entire thing all over him, but she controlled herself. As the last drops of the bowl were drained, Hayley turned her attention to his wound. At first, there was no change and Hayley feared the worst. But then, it happened. It healed.

Hayley ran her hand across the area that had been infected just moments ago, but she felt nothing but smooth skin. Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked up towards how the others were doing with Kol.

"It worked," Hayley choked out. "Is Kol…?"

"He's healed," Rebekah said with glassy eyes. The two shared a tear-filled moment before turning to Freya who was already muttering some words to break down the dream world Elijah and Kol were in.

Hayley turned back to Elijah and began feeding him blood. She wanted him to open his eyes and be himself, not some hungry, blue man. Elijah unconsciously drained the first of the blood bags which Hayley immediately replaced. As the second of the bags was drained, the color had returned to him. He looked exactly as she had remembered.

The only noise in the room was Freya's soft chants which Hayley was waiting patiently for to stop. It seemed like hours, days even, before a silence filled the room. Hayley waited anxiously for some sign of movement. Was that a twitch of his hand? Movement under his eyelids?

A sudden, sharp gasp came from the body in front of her and Hayley jumped back about a foot before immediately rushing back to the side of the casket. A pair of brown eyes had cracked open. After adjusting to the light, they became slightly wider and blinked several times before looking deeply into her eyes.

"Hayley."

Hayley practically dove into the box when she heard him say her name. She buried her face into his neck, inhaling his scent and fulling breaking down into a puddle of tears. Elijah propped himself up enough to hold her tightly against the upper half of his body. He wove his hand in her hair and pulled her as close to him as he possibly could.

"Bloody hell!" the pair heard from the other side of the room. Both Elijah and Hayley chuckled at Kol's outburst but could not find the strength to pull away from each other just yet. Hayley also wanted to cut the waterworks before they both really saw each other, but Elijah was having none of that. He gently pulled away from Hayley and cupped her face in both of his hands.

They studied each other for what felt like forever. Hayley memorized his deep brown eyes, the curve of his nose, the alluring shape of his lips, the stubble that seemed to have not grown in the past five years. Tears welled up in Hayley's eyes again and to save herself from another meltdown, she did what she had been longing to do since the last moment she saw him.

When their lips met, Hayley felt every fear, insecurity, and problem dissipate. She was home. His lips fit perfectly on hers and tasted just as she remembered. She pulled him closer to her needing to feel his body against hers once more, just to ensure he was here and he was real, but the reality of where they were kicked in suddenly.

"Eww! Mom!" Hope said. Both Hayley and Elijah chuckled as they reluctantly broke apart. He pressed his forehead to Hayley's and looked lovingly into her eyes once more before turning to look at his now grown niece.

"Hi, Uncle Elijah!" she said happily. Elijah's mouth dropped open about an inch before a full blown smile took shape on his face.

"Uncle? You're certainly mistaken. You see, I have only once niece and you couldn't possibly be her. You're far too tall," he joked. Just the sound of his voice made Hayley want to tackle him again, but she contained herself and let the two of them have this moment.

"No, it really is me, I swear!" Hope said. Elijah grinned and looked over at Hayley who was already beaming at him.

"A little help, Hayley?" Elijah asked as he held out a hand. God, she loved the way her name sounded coming out of his mouth. She took his hand and helped him out knowing full-well it was just an excuse to touch her again, but she wasn't complaining. Elijah stepped out of the casket and immediately picked Hope up.

"Last time I held you, you were no bigger than the length of my shoe," Elijah said to her. She giggled and wrapped her arms around him. The sight of the two of them together made Hayley want to cry again, but she willed herself to calm down.

"I'm glad you're back, Uncle Elijah. My mom missed you," Hope said. Elijah gazed at Hayley from over the shoulder of his niece and couldn't help but smile.

"I missed her too." The two shared an electric moment before it was, again, rudely interrupted.

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Rebekah said as she rushed over from the other side of the room. Elijah quickly put Hope down and hugged the first of his sisters tightly before moving to give Freya a hug as well.

"I have to say, this is the shortest amount of time I've spent locked away in a casket. I think we broke a new record, Kol," Elijah said to his brother who had just gotten around to getting out of his casket.

"Yeah, well we didn't have Hayley conquering the world to get us out those last times, now did we?" Kol said before walking to embrace Hayley. She was not as close with him as she was with the other Mikaelsons, but she accepted the hug entirely.

"Thank you, Hayley. Truly," Kol said before releasing her and turning towards Hope.

"You were no bigger than a _pea_ when I saw you last," Kol said before scooping his niece up.

"That is _not_ true," Hope countered.

"Okay, maybe it was an apple, I can't remember. Memory gets a tad hazy after being asleep for five years," Kol joked. The six family members shared a few moments of rejoice and laughter before Hayley remembered why they had woken them up in the first place.

"I hate to cut the reunion short, but we kind of have to go," Hayley said. "We lost Hope's bracelet."

"Right, Marcel and his army of wankers are after us so we need to get a move on. Where to next? New York? Paris? Bora Bora?" Rebekah suggested.

"I was thinking we just drive until somewhere looks good," Freya said.

"I can deal with that for tonight. Who's driving?"


	5. In the Midst of It All

Hayley smiled. Hope was fast asleep against her side as Rebekah drove quickly past the state line separating Oregon and California. She ran her fingers softly through her soft brown curls and simply treasured the sight of how innocent she looked right now. On the other side of her, Elijah was tracing patterns on the top of her hand with his fingertips. She turned towards him and smiled before resting her head on his shoulder. She felt his lips graze her forehead and sighed. For a second, she forgot they were running for their lives.

They drove in the silence of night for several hours before Rebekah could no longer stay focused on the road. The managed to find their way down past the Redwood Forest before stopping in a small little town on the coast. They drove down a few streets before they found a hotel that looked suitable enough. Hayley compelled the clerk at the front desk to find them four rooms in the same hall before taking the keys and making their way upstairs.

Everyone, save Kol and Elijah, were too exhausted to even talk about a plan, so they bid each other goodnight. Elijah and Hayley, who was carrying a sleeping Hope, made their way into their room and shut the door. Hayley walked slowly over to the bed and laid her daughter down.

"Will you hand me that backpack?" Hayley whispered to Elijah who immediately obliged. Hayley rummaged around and found a pair of pajamas for Hope and for herself before tossing the bag to the corner of the room. She gently peeled off Hope's clothes from earlier and folded them up before pulling a night gown over her head. She then tucked her daughter in on the right side of the bed and placed Wolfy right next to her before kissing her temple.

Hayley turned to Elijah who couldn't keep the small grin off of his face. Something about how motherly she had become struck an emotional chord with him. He could already tell that Hayley had done a remarkable job raising Hope thus far and it warmed his heart. The two shared a look before Hayley walked over and wrapped her arms around him. She pressed her head against his chest and simply listened to his heart beat. Elijah stroked her hair tenderly and drew small circles on the small of her back. Simply being close together was enough for them right now.

"I know you've had more than enough sleep, but I haven't. Come lay down with me," Hayley murmured. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, but she didn't have to. Elijah was more than happy to comply with her request.

"Of course," he said gently. He brushed a piece of hair back behind her ear and kissed her gently. It was sweet and loving, and Hayley wanted nothing more than to deepen the kiss, but it was neither the time nor place. She was exhausted and her daughter was asleep less than ten feet away from them. Instead, she pulled away from his embrace and walked over to the backpack on the floor. She pulled out a white t-shirt and black cotton sweat pants before handing them to Elijah.

"I'm not entirely sure what you wear to bed when we're not together," Hayley said cheekily, "but these will have to do." Elijah grinned and took them from her before proceeding to the bathroom to change. Though Hope was asleep, he didn't want his first real impression on his niece to be scarring.

Hayley quickly changed into flannel pants and a shirt before sliding in bed next to her daughter. Her steady breaths let Hayley know that she was fast asleep. Hayley pulled a few loose strands of hair away from her face and sighed. She really was the best thing that had ever happened to Hayley, despite her initial reaction to the pregnancy.

Hayley glanced up from her pillow as Elijah exited the bathroom. He looked so domestic in the plain clothes she had given him. His hair was slightly ruffled from not being styled and Hayley suppressed a smile. Though she never thought she would ever refer to Elijah this way, she had to admit it: he was cute.

Elijah walked over to shut off the main light before crawling in bed next to Hayley. His arm snaked around Hayley's waist and pulled her flush against his body. He wanted every point of their bodies to touch, every inch of skin, every cell… he had waited more than five years for this. The two of them had been through so many ups and downs in their relationship over the years between her pregnancy, Klaus's rage, Jackson, and a simple inability to communicate. And now the five years they had spent apart. It separated them after finally giving into one another. They hadn't even had a single day truly together before she was ripped away from him.

"Hey… what's wrong?" Hayley whispered. She had turned towards him unbeknownst to him as his thoughts ran through his head. He had to smile at the fact that, even in the darkness, she knew something was distracting him.

"Nothing. Just thinking, I promise," Elijah murmured. His lips found hers in the dark for a brief moment before she turned back towards her daughter and snuggled back into him. Elijah closed his eyes and, though he had just slept for five years straight, fell blissfully to sleep with the woman he loved back in his arms.

* * *

Hayley awoke the next morning to a small little face right in front of hers.

"Good morning, Mom," Hope said. Hayley jumped slightly at the initial sight of her daughter, but immediately relaxed upon realizing it was just her obnoxious way of waking her up.

"Morning, honey," Hayley mumbled with a smile. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good," she replied before crawling up on the bed next to Hayley, who began to sit up and stretch. She had slept so soundly for the first time in forever and she felt wonderful. Just as she was wondering why, her answer arrived. Elijah opened the door carrying a tray of coffee cups and a bag with something that smelled wonderful. All the events of yesterday came flooding back through Hayley's groggy brain and she couldn't keep the smile from forming on her face.

"Hey," she said happily.

"Good morning," Elijah replied with a small smile. "I brought coffee, hot chocolate, and breakfast."

He walked over and handed a cup to Hayley and Hope before placing the bag at the end of the bed. Elijah had showered and was dressed in his suit again, but it looked newly cleaned and pressed. He also looked a tad healthier than he did last night, so Hayley assumed he had gotten a proper meal sometime this morning.

"Thanks," she replied before taking a sip and rummaging through the bag to find something for Hope to eat.

"I told the others to meet us in here to discuss further plans seeing as we can't exactly stay here for much longer," Elijah explained before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"No, we can't. I've been thinking that we need to find some more witches," Hayley said. "We accomplished the easy part by waking you guys up, but what about Marcel? We still have no way to rid him of the wolf gene and I don't think we can just waltz in and steal Klaus without saying hello."

"I agree with the hybrid," Rebekah said as she walked in the room. "Regardless of the fact that we've got you and Kol back, we still can't beat him. He'd just sink his teeth into you again and this time, you'd be dead."

"Maybe you should talk to him, Rebekah. If I remember correctly, you do have a certain way with the psycho," Kol said as he too walked in the room, followed by Freya.

"I will not let you near that insufferable man who still would claim he cares for you," Elijah said pointedly at Rebekah who rolled her eyes in response.

"It's not like he'd hurt me, Elijah. Regardless, I don't want to see that ass of a man right now," she replied before receiving a glare from Hayley. "Sorry, Hope."

"I think we have to start with mother's grimoires," Freya said. "I was able to use them to create a cure for your wounds, so maybe I can find some way to reverse what Lucien did. I was there when Vincent performed the spell."

"Yes, but how are we going to hide Hope? We can't just keep moving from place to place every day," Hayley said.

"Maybe I can help with that."

Tobias stood outside the hotel door with a girl behind him. Elijah immediately stood to question the intruder, but Rebekah grabbed his arm. Hayley slowly got up off the bed and walked towards him.

"Tobias? What- how did you find us?" Hayley asked incredulously. He gestured to the girl behind him and smiled.

"This is my sister, Adira. She's a witch. I came back to the house to find you guys, but you weren't there," Tobias said.

"Yeah, we had to leave as soon as we realized Hope's bracelet was missing. I'm sorry I never told you. Things just got a bit hectic," Hayley explained.

"I figured. I saw the open caskets and no bodies so I assumed you had succeeded. And now I see that you have," he said slowly. Elijah was eying him like a piece of meat while Kol just looked bored.

"Sorry, yeah, this is Elijah and Kol Mikaelson." Tobias held out a hand towards Elijah who simply looked at him blankly.

"Tobias, is it?" Elijah asked slowly. He nodded with an apprehensive look on his face. "How exactly did you and your sister locate my family?"

"When we went back to the house, you had cleared everything out except for the bloody shirt Hayley had thrown in the trash. Adira was able to perform a locator spell and track you down here."

Elijah looked as though he was ready to rip his throat out at the mention of Hayley's clothes let alone the fact that he used a locator spell on her. Hayley noticed this and quickly positioned herself between Elijah and Tobias, who frankly looked like he was about to piss himself.

"I was going to bring Adira back to the house after I left because she's a syphoner. I figured that since Marcel had been created by magic, maybe Adira could syphon it out of him."

"I didn't even think about that," Freya said. "I'm not entirely sure it will work though considering Marcel was never part of the spell."

"Yes, but if there's still magic running through him, there may be a way for me to extract it," Adira said. A silence filled the room as everyone thought through the possibility.

"Back to more urgent matters… you say you can magically cloak my niece?" Elijah asked Adira. She looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded.

"I'll have to go get the spell from my car, but I think I have one that works," Adira said before turning to leave.

"I'll come with you. You can help me look through some of my mother's grimoires too," Freya said. The two exited the room leaving the others in an uncomfortable silence.

"So how did you meet this dysfunctional lot?" Kol asked.

"Rebekah and Freya had been asking around about where they could find a Deep Water royal. Word travels quickly among the packs and when Hayley's name was mentioned, I knew I had to help. Her and Jackson's unification ceremony changed most of our lives. So I went to their house and offered to help them before fully understanding I was getting involved with the Mikaelsons," Tobias explained. "The little one convinced me to help though."

"Tobias is very nice. His grandpa wasn't though," Hope said angrily. Hayley mentally kicked herself. Elijah was not going to take this well. He looked quizzically at Tobias who just grabbed the back of his neck and looked away before Hayley spoke.

"His grandfather was the last royal of the pack. We were going to negotiate with him, but it didn't really go too well," Hayley trailed off.

"He tried to take me!" Hope yelled.

"He _what_?" Elijah asked icily before turning towards Tobias. "Your version of _help_ is helping your grandfather abduct a _child_?"

"I didn't know, I swear," Tobias said.

"Elijah, calm down," Hayley said as she placed a hand on his bicep. His intense gaze did not waver even as Hayley tried to calm him.

"Tobias, why don't we go help Freya and Rebekah? Last thing we need is a fight. Hope, you and Kol tag along, alright?" Rebekah said trying to diffuse the situation. Tobias immediately scurried out of the room followed by the other three. Hayley walked over the shut the door and turned to find Elijah pacing across the room. He loosened his tie and threw his jack on the couch across from him.

"Elijah…"

"How are you going to trust a man who willingly brought you and Hope into harm's way?" Elijah asked.

"He didn't know! His grandfather had guards attack him too," Hayley explained. Elijah's eyes widened at this.

"Oh, so you were attacked as well?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then he has the nerve to go searching around the house for your clothes and use a locator spell."

Hayley watched his angry pacing and it immediately clicked. She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back against the door before a wide grin spread across her face.

"Oh my god," she said astonished at the situation. Elijah stopped and looked up at her with a confused expression.

"What? What is so humorous at a time like this?" he asked with a sharp tone. Hayley only shook her head and chuckled.

"The great noble Elijah Mikaelson… is jealous."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh, I assure you I'm not the one who's being ridiculous. You are _so_ jealous right now," Hayley said still grinning at him. Elijah narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw at her accusation.

"I'll have you know that I don't get jealous. I'm not that trivial," he said pompously. Hayley rolled her eyes at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Really? So you're telling me you're mad at a guy who, out of the goodness of his heart, tried to help us save your sorry ass and then tracked us down just to try and help us again?" Hayley asked. "Wow! What a _bad_ , bad man."

Elijah scowled at her, but Hayley's expression didn't waver. He did not reply for a healthy amount of time, but eventually spoke.

"I didn't like the way he looked at you and Hope. Like you were his responsibility somehow," Elijah admitted in angry defeat. He sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at the wall across from him. The smile on Hayley's face slowly faded as she watched his face fall. He had just spent the last five years thinking only of her and Hope, immediately ready to jump back into his role of the alpha male, and here was this other guy who seemed as if he had all the answers. Hayley walked over to the bed and sat next to him. She took one of his hands out of his lap and weaved her fingers through his.

"Hey," she said as she looked over at him. "I love you."

Elijah turned slowly towards her with a surprised expression on his face.

"I haven't said it in a while on account of you being in a box for the past five years, but I love you. Nothing has changed that," Hayley said softly. Elijah's face perked up at the declarations of her love and he brought a hand to her cheek before pulling her face towards his. He kissed her softly at first, but Hayley had snaked her arm around to the back of his head and pulled him closer to her. After a moment or two of passionate kisses, Elijah had to pull away. He let several soft breaths out before his eyes found hers again.

"Of all the emotions I've felt in my immortal life… not one of them has compared to the love I feel for you. I love you, Hayley."

Hayley felt her heart swell to about twice its size. That was the first time he had ever said it. Sure, she hadn't really given him a chance the time before her wedding and the one time she said it to him, she basically dumped him, but this erased all of that. It erased all of their past fights, distractions, and obstacles standing in their way. Hayley leaned in again and this time when their lips met, it was electric.

Hayley kissed him hard, but languidly. If she had to wait five years for this, it was going to be damn good. Elijah seemed to have the same sentiments about the situation. He slid his hand down her back and trailed his fingers over the skin on the side of her stomach before reaching her thigh and pulling her on top of him. Elijah sat up as Hayley straddled his lap and ran her hands from his hair down to his back. Hayley managed to unknot his tie while not breaking their kiss and flung it across the room. Elijah's lip trailed down her jaw and neck before reaching the top of her breasts. He looked up at her with a blazing look in his eyes and Hayley almost fell apart right then and there.

She lifted her shirt off of her head and returned her mouth to his before her fingers began working to undo the buttons on his shirt. Normally, she would've just ripped it off, but something in the back of her mind reminded her that he didn't have any more shirts. They'd have to fix that. As she undid the last button, Elijah shrugged off his shirt quickly before leaning backwards and slowly rolling them over. He was determined to worship the woman.

Elijah's lips and tongue left a trail of fire along her skin as he made his way to the waistband of her pajama pants. Hayley lifted her hips so he could pull them off of her, but sat up and pulled his face back towards hers after she was officially clothes-free. Her hands made quick work of his belt buckle and soon enough, the both of them were free of all restraints. Hayley moved her way towards the head of the bed and as soon as Elijah was above her, she lost herself in him.

Hayley didn't think she had ever felt so whole. She had never been so alive, so safe, so… home. The connection she and Elijah shared mentally, physically, and emotionally was overwhelming. But she needed that. She needed the fire she felt deep in her soul that he constantly kept burning. Their love was so incredibly raw and pure that Hayley often didn't know what to do with it. It consumed every inch of her mind, body, and soul. He had truly become a part of her existence.

She lay silently cuddled against him with her head on his chest for what felt like forever. Elijah played with strands of her hair relishing in the fact that she was in his arms once again. Hayley wrapped one of her arms around his stomach and let her fingers graze the side of his torso.

"I really missed you," Hayley whispered. She looked up at Elijah whose eyes were already gazing lovingly into hers.

"As did I," he replied. "Come here."

Hayley shifted her head up towards his shoulder so he had access to her lips once more. The two shared a few simple kisses before she sighed and moved back to her prior position. In the midst of everything that was going on, the pair was happy they could share a few blissful moments together. There were never enough of those in the type of life they led.


	6. The Answer

After simply enjoying each other's company for what felt like far too short of a time, Hayley rolled out of bed and began collecting the clothes that had been thrown around the room. Elijah sat up against the headboard and gazed at her. Not that he didn't enjoy the beauty of her nakedness, that's not why he watched her. She moved gracefully as she picked up each article of clothing and folded it. It was so domestic. He could see the way she had matured into a different woman over the past five years.

She brought Elijah's clothes over to him and kissed him quickly before retreating to the bathroom. When the two finished getting ready, Elijah took Hayley's hand. He kissed the soft skin on back of it and offered her a small smile.

"I will apologize to Tobias. In retrospect, I was rather rude," Elijah said. Hayley chuckled and threaded her fingers through his again.

"Just chalk it up to being locked in a box for five years and you'll be just fine," she said. "Come on, I think we've been gone long enough." Hayley began to pull him along, but he pulled her arm back spinning her hard into his solid chest.

"I don't think any amount of time spent with you would ever be long enough for me," he murmured. His eyes held hers in a way that made time cease to exist. She memorized every hue in his dark brown eyes that seemed to express emotions she couldn't formulate words for. Hayley just about melted in his arms before she pressed her lips to his. The two stood wrapped up in each other for several moments more before Hayley reluctantly broke away.

"Mmm… as much as I'd love to stay longer, I don't want to have to clean this room again," Hayley hummed. Elijah's eyes twinkled as his mouth curved upwards in response. He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear which made Hayley sigh in content. She had missed that. The little things he did made her heart swell up. It was just one of the many things that had been missing in her life the past five years.

"Then we'll just have to be careful this time," he said. Hayley grinned and kissed him again, but this time it was short.

"Later, I promise," she said. "Come on."

The two walked to Rebekah's room and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a bemused Rebekah who simply raised an eyebrow at them.

"Well, it's about bloody time," she said before stepping aside. Snickers filled the silence of the room causing Hayley to blush slightly considering her daughter was amongst the group, but she brushed it off and went to sit with Hope.

"Look, Mom! Adira made me this pretty necklace," Hope exclaimed. Sure enough, a thin silver necklace hung around Hope's neck. A small wolf pendant hung at the bottom of the chain and Hayley smiled.

"As luck would have it, there was a gift shop downstairs," Adira said. "It should work the same as the bracelet and cloak Hope's magic, but I don't know for how long."

"What do you mean?" Hayley asked. "The other one worked just fine. Did you use the same spell?"

"Yes, but Hope's magic is stronger now. She used her first real spell when we woke up Elijah and Kol. By truly tapping into her power for the first time she has activated all of the potential magic inside of her," Freya explained.

"So what does this mean?" Hayley asked.

"It means we need to make a plan and move. Hope was still uncloaked when we arrived here so it's not safe anymore," Rebekah said.

"Where do you have in mind, dear sister?" Kol asked. "Vegas isn't too far. Lots of people, lots of distractions." Hayley threw him a nasty glare, but he merely shrugged it off like he didn't know what possibly could have angered her.

"First we need a plan. We cannot move from place to place not knowing when the necklace's magic will wear off," Elijah said.

"I know some witches who may be able to help us," Tobias said timidly. He glanced anxiously from Hayley to Elijah, obviously waiting for him to snap at him again.

"Yes, they're part of my mother's bloodline. Many of them are syphoners as well," Adira added.

"Right, because last time we tried to ask for your family's help it went wonderfully," Rebekah said with a roll of her eyes.

"Tobias has already apologized for that, Rebekah. I do believe he has honorable intentions for our niece since he has come out of his way to help us," Elijah replied before looking back at Tobias. "Now these witches… how do you suppose they can help us?"

"Marcel has the power of an Original and all seven werewolf bloodlines because of magic. All magic has loopholes. There must be a balance in nature for magic to exist, so there has to be a way to stop him," Adira explained. "The elders in my mother's bloodline have been around for, well, a long time. I can't be sure they can help us, but I figured it's at least a possibility."

"I can't do this on my own even with Mother's grimoires," Freya said. "I think this is our only shot right now."

"I agree," Hayley said reluctantly. She knew Tobias hadn't known about his psychotic grandfather, but the thought of bringing Hope into another situation with people she had no knowledge of made her stomach churn. She pulled Hope on to her lap to try and calm herself. Her daughter wrapped her little arms around Hayley and she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in.

"Then it's settled. Now where are we headed?" Kol asked.

* * *

Several long hours later the group found themselves passing through Reno and driving towards the Nevada desert.

"You're telling me we're in Nevada and we can't even make a small pit stop in Las Vegas?" Kol whined. Rebekah responded by smacking the backside of his head. He scowled at her and rubbed his neck. "Jeez, just trying to lighten the mood."

"Perhaps you should keep your comments in your head where people actually _want_ to hear them," Elijah replied. Hayley grinned at him, but he kept his eyes on the road. However, he turned his palm upward on the center console beckoning for Hayley's hand. She slid her smaller hand into his larger one and couldn't help but sigh in content.

They drove in a peaceful silence for another twenty minutes before Tobias's car pulled off the main road to an obscure path that lead out to the middle of the desert.

"Where the bloody hell are they taking us?" Rebekah asked aloud.

"I'm not certain, but we are going to find out soon enough," Elijah said. It looked as though they were driving into nothingness for a while, but soon a structure appeared on the horizon. It looked like it was the ruins of a settlement from the Pueblo Indians that Hayley somehow remembered learning about in school. It took another few minutes to arrive at the settlement, but soon they saw the brake lights on the car ahead of them signaling that they were here.

Elijah stopped the car beside Tobias and was the first to get out. Hayley and the others followed in suit all whilst gazing at the old housing structures. Rectangular clay structures stood tall, but in shambles. Some roofs were collapsed, wooden pillars peeked out from crumbling walls, and the most confusing part was there wasn't a damn person in sight. Hayley couldn't sense a single person.

"May I asked why you've taken us to an ancient settlement in the middle of the desert?" Elijah asked Tobias.

"This is where the witches live," he stated. Everyone eyed him quizzically, but stayed silent. Adira stepped out of the car and gazed at the structures in front of them.

"Yes, they are most certainly here," she said. "Come."

Adira walked quickly in the direction of the buildings while everyone followed behind her. Hayley grabbed Hope's hand as they walked needing reassurance that she could get her out quickly if something was to go wrong. She noticed Elijah subtly move to walk in front of them as well. Whatever happened, Hayley knew Hope would be alright.

As the group got closer to the decrepit fencing in front of the settlement, Adira stopped. She closed her eyes and began murmuring enchantments. Faster than Hayley could blink, the sight in front of her changed dramatically. The abandoned site was a booming community. Gone were the fallen structures and failing architecture. Clay buildings with colorful designs stood tall, people bustled in the streets, and the fence in front of them stood strong. Adira, Tobias, and Freya entered easily, but the rest of the group stood stuck at the gate.

"Right, I forgot. Come in," Adira said. Elijah was the first to step over the boundary followed by Hayley and Hope. Adira and Tobias walked towards the main street quickly and the group hurried to catch up with them.

"What is this place?" Freya asked Adira.

"It's a witch coven that's been cloaked for hundreds of years. When explorers came over and tried to take the land, the Native American witches that lived here decided to hide the land. My mother was descended from this bloodline and brought me here as a little girl," Adira explained.

"So people have been living and thriving here for centuries without being detected?" Hayley asked. Tobias nodded at her.

"Yep. It's a well-kept secret. So well-kept in fact that when you exit the boundaries, your memory of it will be erased. Only witches part of the coven are given the knowledge of its whereabouts," he explained.

"I do wonder how they're going to take four Originals rolling into town," Rebekah wondered aloud.

"The elders know you are coming. They sensed it the minute we veered off of the main road. As long as you don't do anything to provoke anyone, it should go well," Adira said. As the group passed through the busy streets they began to get stares. It was nothing new to the Original family, but to Hope it was a bit odd.

"Mom, why is everyone looking at us?" Hope asked Hayley.

"It's because I'm so devilishly handsome. They can't help but look," Kol replied. Hope giggled and Hayley rolled her eyes at him, but smiled nonetheless.

They walked until they came to a building at the end of the street. It looked much like all of the other buildings, but had different designs. While most of the buildings had dark, jagged-lined designs carved into them, this building had white swirls intricately drawn. Bright multi-colored curtains hung in front of the door where a woman exited. She looked like she had stepped right out of a history book. She had white hair that hung down in two braids with beads woven in. Deep wrinkles plagued her caramel skin and surrounded her dark brown eyes that twinkled with a kindness that eased Hayley.

"Kewanee!" Adira exclaimed before embracing her. The woman hugged her tightly and smiled into her shoulder.

"Adira, my child, you have grown into such a beautiful woman. You look like your mother," Kewanee said. She gently touched Adira's cheeks and smiled before looking over her shoulder at the rest of the group. Her eyes fell on Tobias and she walked to him.

"Oh, Tobias. It is so good to see you again," she said. She took his hand in between both of hers and squeezed it. "You do not remember me, but I met you when you were just a child."

"Kewanee, these are the Mikaelsons," Adira said. Kewanee released Tobias's hand and looked at the group. She stared into each of their eyes until they fell on Hope. Hayley instinctively tightened her grip on Hope's hand, but Kewanee looked at her and smiled.

"I understand your precautions, but I promise you- no harm will come to your little girl, Hayley Marshall," Kewanee said. "Come, let's talk inside."

They walked through the curtains and found themselves in a cozy room with a fireplace and a large table. Everyone sat around the large table while Kewanee went to the fireplace to pull a kettle away. She poured mugs of what Hayley guessed was tea for everyone and passed them around. Hope sniffed at hers and looked up to Hayley.

"Do I have to drink this?" she whispered. Hayley glanced at Kewanee who had heard the question and was quietly chuckling.

"Try it first. If you don't like it, you don't have to," Hayley said.

"It's sweet. Made from agave nectar and herbs," Kewanee said looking at Hope. She took a small sip and thought about it for a moment before drinking more.

"It's very good. Thank you," Hope said politely. Kewanee smiled graciously and nodded.

"You're very welcome, my child," she said before taking a seat at the head of the table. "It is my pleasure to welcome you all to my home. Adira tells me you seek the help of my people. It was surprising to learn those who sought our help were the Old Ones."

"Yes, well it seems we have hit a dead end with a rather large and dangerous problem," Elijah replied.

"Which might be?"

"A vampire turned into an Original hybrid with a bite producing the venom of all seven original werewolf packs."

* * *

Hayley explained the situation to Kewanee along with the help of everyone else. The elderly woman spoke little during the story only interrupting to clarify certain things. She clenched her jaw at the mention of Aku and visibly relaxed after learning about his death which made Hayley wonder about their relationship. However, that wasn't at the top of her list at the moment.

"…which led Adira and Tobias to finding us in California and telling us about you. And now we're here," Hayley finished. Kewanee didn't immediately reply, but seemed to think it over. She nodded her head slightly before looking at Hayley.

"Well, that is a mighty tale indeed. Your dedication to your loved ones is honorable," Kewanee said. "Now, the spell used to create this beast was one of Esther's, correct? Carried out by the ancestors of New Orleans and infused with enhanced werewolf toxins?"

"Yes, I was there when the spell was carried out," Freya explained. Kewanee looked at her thoughtfully before standing and walking to her.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" she asked gesturing to Freya's head. She shook her head and closed her eyes as Kewanee gently touched both of her temples. Everyone watched in silence as Kewanee murmured quietly and looked into Freya's memories. Moments later she opened her eyes and sighed.

"This man was vanquished though. How?" Kewanee asked.

"We had to channel the power of the ancestors to undo the curse, but the Ancestral Plane was destroyed," Freya explained. Kewanee nodded again, but was silent. Her eyes drifted slowly to Hope, but then to Hayley.

"Hayley, would you mind if I looked at your daughter for a moment?" Kewanee asked. Hayley eyed her suspiciously, but could find nothing in her eyes or expression that was sinister. She looked to Elijah who nodded subtly at her. Hayley nodded at Kewanee who smiled softly before walking over to her daughter.

"Relax, my dear. I wish only to get a sense of the power you truly possess," Kewanee said softly. Hope nodded before closing her eyes. Kewanee did the same thing to Hope as she did to Freya and lightly touched Hope's temples before murmuring soft incantations. Hayley gripped the table a little too harshly as the ordeal took place, but tried to relax when Elijah's hand made its way on top of hers. Suddenly, both Kewanee and Hope opened their eyes. Kewanee looked at this little girl with wondrous eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it. She walked over to her seat and sat down before taking a small sip of her tea.

"You all have come seeking help, but I'm afraid we cannot help you," Kewanee said seriously.

"What did you see, Kewanee?" Adira asked. Kewanee clasped her hands together and looked at everyone seated around the table.

"We cannot help you because you do not need our help. The only one that can save you from this terrible beast is in this room. It is Hope."

"What… what do you mean it's Hope?" Hayley asked. She felt sick and as though all of the blood had drained from her body. Elijah's hand grasped hers tighter urging her not to get upset, but it was too late for that. Too many thoughts and scenarios were flashing through Hayley's head for her to even think straight.

"This beast is a mixture of the strongest vampire and the strongest werewolf to ever exist. Your daughter is a part Original vampire, part of two original werewolf bloodlines, and part witch. Though I cannot give you a simple answer as to how she will defeat the best, I can tell you that she is the key to his undoing," Kewanee said delicately.

"You're telling me a seven-year-old girl is going to defeat the most powerful creature in existence?" Rebekah asked.

"I do apologize if this is not the answer you were hoping to hear, but it is the answer that is the truth," Kewanee said softly. Hayley felt like she had been shot in the chest. Her hand slipped from Elijah's and fell against her side. She glanced at Hope to try and gauge her reaction, but there was none. She almost looked… calm.

"She's right. I saw it," Hope said. Every head turned and stared at her.

"What do you mean you saw it?" Hayley asked. Her voice trembled though she begged it not to.

"I saw it, Mom. I saw Marcel and I. He tried to hurt you and everyone. He tried to hurt Dad," she said. "But I stopped him."

"Your daughter possesses great power, Hayley. She is the only one who can undo what has been done," Kewanee said. A silence filled the room before Elijah abruptly stood up and buttoned his suit.

"We thank you for your incredible help and hospitality, but I believe it's time for us to leave," he said politely. "If there is anything we can do for you in the future, please let it be known."

"No, you do not owe us anything. Your debt was paid when the world was rid of Aku," Kewanee said bitterly. Elijah nodded graciously as the rest of the table rose and began to head for the exit. Shaken beyond belief, Hayley reached for Hope's hand and walked towards the door, but turned at the feeling of someone's hand on her shoulder.

"Hayley," Kewanee said. "Her power is growing. The cloaking device Adira made will only last so long. She must learn to control her power or it will overcome her." She turned towards Hope and offered a small smile. "Take care, child."

Kewanee bid them all farewell leavin Hayley and Hope to walk out the door into an entirely new world than either of them had been a part of before.


	7. Home Again

The drive back to Reno was a silent one. Not only was everyone mulling over the new information, but no one wanted to be the first to have an opinion on the subject. The tension plaguing Hayley was obvious and everyone knew better than to provoke the mama wolf. She sat quietly in the passenger seat and stared out the window for the twenty minutes they were in the car. When they pulled up to the hotel, Hayley was the first person out of the car. She walked quickly to the front desk to procure rooms for everyone and handed the keys out silently before retreating to her room.

Once inside, Hayley walked to the bathroom and turned the shower on before she let the tears start to fall. At first, they were silent. She let the hot tears roll down her cheeks without a sound, but as soon as she pictured Hope's face, she lost it. The endless destructive scenarios and horrifying visions that pushed themselves into Hayley's skull made her cry out. She sobbed harder than she had in years. Her baby was going to be put in the middle of a war.

Hayley didn't know how long she stayed sitting on the bathroom floor. Currently she was going through a period of hiccups trying to get herself to calm down again, but she had no doubt the tears would fall again. Nothing- not the loss of Jackson, not the loss of Elijah, not even the loss of Hope the first time- had ever made her feel this way. Her worst possible fear had come true and she had no way of stopping it.

A single tear rolled down her cheek and she knew she was going to lose it again. Not even the quiet sound of the door opening and closing snapped her out of her trance. She knew who it was; there was no need to hide herself from him. Elijah turned off the shower before finding a spot on the floor beside her. Hayley kept her arms wrapped around her knees though she needed his comfort. She didn't look at him though she needed to see reassurance in his eyes. She didn't want him because she didn't want to be weak, but she needed him.

"I never wanted this for her," Hayley croaked. "She was supposed to be safe. That's why we sent her away with Rebekah in the first place."

"No one wanted this," Elijah said. Hayley turned to look at him and let her grief take over once more. Tears overwhelmed her eyes and she found it hard to breathe normally.

"Then why? Why, Elijah? She's just a kid; she doesn't deserve to be a part of any of this," Hayley cried. Elijah's eyes softened at her broken words and gently guided her to his arms. Hayley curled up in his lap, much like her daughter did to her, and cried into his shoulder. His strong arms wrapped around her securely and he kissed the top of her head.

"I know," he exhaled. "I know."

Hayley stayed in that position for as long as she could remember. The past five years had been hell, but she had never been able to be weak. She had a daughter to look after and to protect which meant there was no room for her to break down. She just had to bottle it up and keep pushing through. But now, when the thing she loved most in this world was being sucked into war despite her best efforts, that bottle had finally overflowed.

Elijah was steady. He knew there were no words to ease her pain, her fears, or her heartbreak. He knew she must feel guilty for not being able to protect her daughter. He knew she was angry that Hope was being tangled in this mess. But most of all, he knew she was scared. That was perhaps the most devastating thing he saw in Hayley. Fear. So he held her and let her cry out all of her tears until she was ready to face the situation with a brave face.

Eventually, Hayley's sobs stopped. She kept her head pressed to his shoulder until she was sure the hiccups were gone and there were no tears left in her. As she peeled away from him, she looked down at his lap. She was afraid that if she looked up at him the tears would begin again, and she was far too tired to let that happen. However, Elijah gently tilted her chin up so he could look at her. Her eyes were red and puffy, but that was all that remained of her breakdown. The walls she had worked so hard to build over the years were building up again.

Elijah titled her head down and placed his lips to her forehead. He felt her let out a shaky breath and looked back into her eyes.

"No harm will come to her. I swear on my life, Hayley. No matter what it takes, she will be safe."

* * *

Later that night, Hope was sitting on her bed watching TV. Hayley and the others had a meeting earlier regarding their next move and it had been decided that someone had to figure out what Hope had seen before anyone did anything. Adira and Freya decided to make a few extra cloaking necklaces in case her powers started showing. Kol and Elijah had decided to go to a hospital and procure some extra blood bags for the road while Rebekah and Tobias went to go buy more clothes for Kol and Elijah. That left Hayley to talk to her daughter.

She watched Hope from the bathroom door and sighed. She looked so innocent. Some cartoon was playing on the TV which caused Hope to occasionally giggle. Hayley smiled at the normalcy of it all. She tried to imagine this just being a vacation or business trip. Maybe Hayley would've been a journalist had she been human. She always loved to write. Deciding it was now or never, Hayley walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Can you turn that off so we can for talk a sec?" Hayley asked. Hope reached for the remote and turned the TV off before sitting up against the headboard.

"What's up?" she asked nonchalantly. Hayley brought her legs up on to the bed so she was sitting cross-legged directly in front of Hope.

"I wanted to ask you about what you saw with Kewanee," Hayley said slowly. "About you and Marcel."

"Oh, right. I told you I stopped him," Hope said.

"Yes, I know, but how? What exactly did you see?" Hayley asked carefully. Hope frowned for a moment trying to gather her thoughts.

"Well, we were in this big house. It looked like a jungle though. Everyone was in this big room- even Dad. But you were all hurt…" Hope trailed. Hayley grabbed Hope's hand trying to reassure her.

"What else happened?" Hayley asked softly. Hope looked down at her lap and sighed.

"Marcel looked scary. I thought he was going to come after you, so I used my powers to stop him. I think I was doing a spell because he started changing," Hope recalled. "His eyes weren't red anymore."

Hayley imagined the scene in her head. She had no doubt that Hope was referring to the compound and that they had put up a hell of a fight. The most interesting thing about Hope's vision was about Klaus.

"Honey, was your dad awake in your vision?" Hayley asked.

"Yes. He was very tired though," Hope said. "I think he's sleeping like Uncle Elijah and Uncle Kol were. Does this mean we're going to wake him up?"

"We're going to try," Hayley replied. "Come here." Hayley opened her arms and beckoned her daughter to her. Hope crawled over and wrapped her arms around Hayley's torso. Hayley held her longer than Hope probably wanted her to, but she didn't care. She kissed her head and pressed her cheek to her soft brown curls.

"I love you so much," Hayley said.

"I love you too," she replied. Hayley reluctantly broke away from the embrace, but sat and studied her daughter. God, she was so much like him. She was able to charm people like no one else, even at her age. She was brave, questioned the world, and would do anything for her family. Hayley swept a piece of hair from her face and smiled.

"You are so much like your dad," she said aloud. Hope's eyes twinkled at the comparison and Hayley couldn't help but smile wider. Though she didn't know Klaus or have the slightest idea about what type of man he was, she adored him. She lived for the stories Hayley would tell her about him and often made ones up when she was younger. Hayley had no doubt that he would be the type of father to Hope that she imagined him to be, but it was the other parts about him that worried her.

Hope had already seen the dark, violent side of Hayley who wasn't a fraction as evil as Klaus could be. He was possessive, cruel, insecure, and narcissistic. He enjoyed torturing people, mentally and physically, and often wasn't able to keep his anger in check. She didn't want her daughter to be disappointed. Hope imagined a hero, not a villain.

"Do you… do you think he'll like me?" Hope whispered. Hayley frowned at her question and reached to stroke her cheek.

"Baby, why wouldn't you think he'd like you? Your father loves you more than anything on this planet," Hayley said. Hope shrugged, but those big puppy dog eyes that usually were used in the art of persuasion were currently glistening with tears.

"But he doesn't really know me. He only saw me as a baby and I don't- I don't want to disappoint him," she murmured. Her voice began to waver as her bottom lip began to tremble and Hayley heart just about broke. "What if I'm not what he expects?"

"Oh, Hope that's not going to happen, honey," Hayley said. She brushed away a stray tear with her thumb and looked straight into her eyes. "Your Uncle Elijah and Uncle Kol barely know you, but they both _adore_ you. Your father will love you no matter how he imagines you right now."

Hope began to sniffle, so Hayley pulled her back into her lap. She hugged her tightly, slightly rocking her back and forth trying to calm her down.

"You know he's probably thinking the same thing about you?" Hayley offered. "Knowing your dad, he's probably worried he's not going to live up to _your_ expectations."

"Really?" Hope hiccupped. She rubbed her eyes trying to rid herself of her tears.

"I guarantee it. If there's one person that your dad will ever worry about impressing, it's you," Hayley said.

"But why? He's my dad. I love him no matter what."

"And that's exactly how he feels about you."

Hope nodded, but brought her head back to Hayley's shoulder and hugged her once again. Hayley sighed and held her tightly. She would hold that little girl for hours if she could. She missed out on cuddling her as an infant, a thought that still plagued Hayley to this day, so she took every opportunity she could to hug her. She also knew that Hope would eventually turn into the moody teenage offspring of both her and Klaus which would be a monster in itself.

Hayley didn't know how long they stayed like that, but eventually she heard Hope's breathing begin to normalize. Poor girl had cried herself tired. Hayley gently laid her down on the bed and tucked in her beneath the sheets. Hayley brushed a few stray hairs off of her face and kissed her forehead. Just then, Hayley heard the door open and looked up to see Elijah entering the room. Hayley put a finger to her lips as she looked up at him and he nodded. He walked over to the small fridge in the corner of the room and placed the blood bags he had been carrying inside.

Hayley turned off the lamp on the nightstand and gestured towards the hallway before heading outside. Elijah quietly followed and shut the door behind him before Hayley turned towards him.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Hayley crossed her arms and nodded, but Elijah knew she wasn't. "Hayley."

"She told me about what she saw," Hayley said quietly. "Kewanee was right. According to that vision, she uses some spell to strip Marcel of his powers. Not only that, but Klaus was awake and fighting with us against him."

"So we have to find a way to get Niklaus away from Marcel before we confront him?" Elijah asked. Hayley nodded and sighed.

"Pretty much. I wish Kewanee could've told us how to make that one happen," she muttered.

"We'll figure it out," Elijah said. Hayley nodded, but couldn't make eye contact with him. "But that's not what's bothering you."

"No."

"Hayley, what is it?"

"I'm scared of waking Klaus up."

Elijah was silent, trying to process Hayley's fears. What could she possibly fear from Klaus? His anger at them not coming sooner? Perhaps his mental state after five years under Papa Tunde's blade? Before he could ask, Hayley spoke.

"Hope said she was afraid she wouldn't live up to his expectations, but I'm afraid he won't live up to hers," Hayley said. "She has all of these ideas about who he is in her head and I really don't want him to disappoint her. I mean, he's not exactly the hero of the story."

"If there's one thing I know about my brother, it's that he loves Hope more than anyone he's ever loved. He wants to be a better man for his daughter," Elijah said. He gently cupped her cheek and smiled. "As long as he's a hero to her, it doesn't matter who he is to anyone else."

"Thank you. I needed to hear that," Hayley said. She put a hand on Elijah's wrist and stepped towards him allowing herself to melt into him. He kissed her sweetly before pulling her body into his.

"We should go tell the others what Hope told you," Elijah murmured after a moment. Hayley nodded into his shoulder, but didn't move. She didn't want to talk about it because she didn't want it to become a reality. All she wanted was to stay in this moment, here and now. Unfortunately for her, that's not how her life worked.

"HAYLEY! ELIJAH!" Tobias yelled. He was running, or trying to run, down the hallway with an unconscious Rebekah in his arms. Elijah and Hayley were both immediately by his side. Elijah moved his sister into his own arms as Hayley wrapped an arm around Tobias. They quickly moved to Freya's room and pounded on the door until she opened it.

"What-" she began, but they had already moved inside. Elijah laid Rebekah on the bed before turning towards Tobias who Hayley was helping to sit down.

"What happened?" he asked. Tobias was breathing deeply trying to catch his breath before he responded.

"We got jumped. Snapped Rebekah's neck. We were on our way home when something got thrown into our car and caused us to crash. There were probably ten of them. We were able to fight them off, I even bit a few, but Marcel definitely knows where we are," Tobias breathed. Hayley bit into her wrist and offered him some of her blood, but he refused.

"Listen, we have to leave so you need all the strength you can get. Now's not the time for a werewolf pride thing. Drink," Hayley said sternly. Tobias looked up at her with hesitation, but gave in when she threatened to force him to do it.

"Everyone collect your things. I'll get Kol. We're leaving," Elijah commanded before walking out the door. Hayley immediately followed and vamped to her room. She flicked on the light and gently shook Hope awake before beginning to pack their things.

"Mom? What's going on?" she asked. Hayley looked up at her from the bag she was packing and motioned for her to get out of bed.

"We have to go. Marcel's people found out where we were, so it's not safe for us to be here anymore," Hayley said quickly. "Hurry up and get dressed."

Hope did as she was told while Hayley packed the blood bags away and grabbed their bags. She took Hope's hand and walked back to Freya's room where they found the rest of the group. Upon seeing Rebekah's unconscious body, Hope stilled.

"Is Aunt Rebekah-"

"She's fine, honey. She'll wake up in a little bit," Hayley said, answering her unasked question. "Everyone ready?"

"Where are we going exactly?" Kol asked. Hayley hadn't even thought about that. Suddenly, an idea struck her.

"The bayou," she said.

"Are you _insane_?!"

"You're kidding."

"Absolutely not!"

Shouts of opposition and insanity rang out in the room, but Elijah was quiet. Hayley looked only at him and bit her lip.

"The bayou is the only place that Marcel and the vampires don't know. Even if they use a locator spell, they won't be able to figure out our exact whereabouts. We'll sense them before they find us," Hayley explained. "The cloaking necklace isn't working so it's no use running. We need to go home."

"And where do you suppose we stay?" Elijah asked. Hayley bit her lip nervously.

"You're not going to like it."

* * *

After a tense plane ride and quick drive out to the bayou, Hayley found herself walking a very familiar path to a very familiar house. Elijah pulled ahead of the rest of the annoyed group and fell in stride with Hayley.

"This is not the way to the cabin," Elijah said. Hayley continued looking ahead and listening for potential threats.

"No, not the one you're thinking about."

They continued walking for twenty minutes or so until Hayley saw the smoke from the chimney. She stopped and inwardly let out a sigh of relief. She didn't even know if she would still live there or be alive for that matter. Hayley took Hope's hand and took a deep breath before walking purposefully towards the cabin.

Upon reaching the front door, Hayley stopped. She didn't know what she was going to say. She didn't even know if she would help her or not, but this was her last shot. So, she took a deep breath and knocked three times before stepping back. For a moment, she didn't hear anything, but then the door swung open.

"I need your help."

The woman looked her up and down before her eyes moved to Hope. A look of astonishment appeared on her face before it was replaced by sympathy. She eyed the rest of the group apprehensively, but sighed as she looked back to Hayley's pleading face. She nodded and gestured for Hayley to come inside.

"Thank you," Hayley breathed.

"Of course, Hayley," she replied. "All of you are invited inside, come on now."

"Excuse me, but who the bloody hell is this?" Rebekah asked. Hayley grimaced and turned towards the group.

"This is Mary Dumas," she said. "Jackson's grandmother."


	8. Back to the Bayou

**Added a cute-ass Haylijah moment in here since there probably won't be too many of those until the Marcel conflict is resolved, so enjoy!**

Hayley sat at the dining room table nursing a warm mug of tea. Adira and Freya were with Hope in the back room going through Esther's grimoire and trying to look into Hope's memories to get a sense of what spell she was using to defeat Marcel while Rebekah, Elijah, Kol, and Tobias were scouting out the Quarter. Mary hadn't said much when they got there except for telling them where they could put their things. Hayley knew she wasn't thrilled with the idea of the Originals inhabiting her home, but she helped them regardless. After all, she was still family.

"Mary, I can't thank you enough for this. I know we're the last people you would want to help, but I didn't know where else to go…"

"Hayley, you and Hope are the last of my family. You were good to Jackson and good to the pack," she said as she stirred a pot of what Hayley thought was soup. "No, I don't like vampires, but they're your family too."

"Still… thank you," Hayley said. Mary nodded her head and stirred the contents of the pot once more before tapping the spoon on the edge and turning down the heat. She wiped her hands off and poured herself a mug of tea. Hayley noticed how her hand slightly shook as she held the kettle and frowned. Mary noticed her expression and scoffed.

"Oh, I'm just getting old is all. Don't worry," she said before sitting down across from Hayley.

"How have things been here since I left?" Hayley asked.

"Well, most of the pack scattered after they realized they were being hunted. I'm one of the few left. I don't venture into the Quarter much on account of Marcel's rule about werewolves," she explained. "There's a witch though. Vincent, I think, who keeps him on his toes."

"Vincent?" Hayley asked. She had almost forgotten about him.

"Yes. Heard he's helped a few werewolves, witches, and even vampires escape persecution in the Quarter. He seems like he's a decent enough man," Mary reflected. "Again, it's just what I hear. I don't get near the place."

"So you've been safe out here?" Hayley asked. Mary chuckled at her concern.

"No one comes out this way very much anymore. I've been just fine."

"Good. I still worried about you even after…" Hayley trailed off. Mary reached across the table and grabbed one of her hands tightly.

"I worried too," she said with a soft smile. "You may not have been in love with Jack, but you made him happy. For that, I will always be grateful."

"I loved him in my own way," Hayley said softly. "I still miss him, you know."

"So do I."

Just then, the door front opened to reveal Rebekah and the boys. Mary rose when they walked in, nodded to Hayley, and went to her room obviously not wishing to be part of the conversation or rather, not wanting to be near any vampires.

"How'd it go?" Hayley asked.

"For one thing, Marcel has let our family home turn into a jungle. It's in utter need of some cleaning," Kol said. Hayley rolled her eyes and turned towards Rebekah.

"There are vampires crawling all over the Quarter. Marcel seems to be holed up in the compound though," Rebekah said.

"Niklaus is most likely somewhere in the house. If I were to guess, I think I would assume he's sealed him away in the Garden. Marcellus always did have a special taste for that room," Elijah said bitterly.

"So what do we do?" Hayley asked. "Hope said that Klaus was awake when she took him down. After spending five years with Tunde's blade in him, who knows how long it's going to take him to wake up."

"We need a distraction," Tobias said.

"Mary told me he exiled wolves from the Quarter. She also said that Vincent had been stopping Marcel from terrorizing people," Hayley said.

"We need Vincent on our side," Elijah said. "If he were to help us distract Marcel, we would be able to extract Niklaus from the compound and help him recover."

"And what makes you think Vincent is going to help us? He hates us after what happened to Davina," Rebekah said.

"We don't need him to like us. We need to make him an offer he cannot refuse," Elijah said. "We need to promise him structure and safety in the Quarter."

"You do realize we tried that once. The treaty didn't work last time," Rebekah said.

"Yes, but it did in 1919. And it will again without Niklaus making secret allegiances this time," he replied. "We must make it clear that we have no desire to rule New Orleans anymore. We just want a safe home for Hope."

"Do you really think he'll believe that, Elijah?" Hayley asked.

"The Quarter is overrun by vampires as it is. There is no order, there is no law. Vincent has nothing to lose by aligning with us and with a promise to keep the peace, to allow witches and werewolves to return to the city, and to ensure the demise of Marcel Gerard… he cannot deny us."

* * *

They planned and discussed their plan until around two in the morning before everyone began to drift asleep. Freya and Adira had worked for hours with Hope trying to figure out the spell, but going back through her memories had tired them all out. Not wanting to be caught off guard, Hayley decided she would take the first watch tonight. What happened in Reno was too close of a call and she wouldn't risk their and Mary's safety.

She sat outside the front door and poked at the fire she had created. It crackled softly in the midst of the silent early morning and Hayley couldn't help but feel transported back to years ago when she lived out here. Part of her missed the earthy smells and sounds of the bayou. The muggy air wrapped itself around her like a blanket as she sat back and looked up at the moon. It would be full in a few days, not that it mattered anymore.

"May I join you?"

Hayley looked up from the light of the fire and found Elijah standing next to her. She smiled softly and nodded before scooting over on the log she was sitting on. As he sat down, she noticed he wasn't wearing his tie or jacket and the top button of his shirt was not buttoned. He looked like he was a working man who had simply had a long day at the office. Hayley thought about what their lives may have ended up like had they been human and met under different circumstances. Maybe they'd be married with kids living in a quiet little town somewhere far, far away from all of this.

"What's on your mind?" Elijah asked, effectively breaking her out of her thoughts.

"I'm thinking about being back here again," Hayley said.

"And how is it… being here?" Elijah asked. Hayley hummed and drummed her fingers on her knee as she looked into the flames.

"If it were under different circumstances I think I would appreciate it more, but it's still nice. I've missed the woods," she said. She saw him nod surreptitiously out of the corner of her eye and sighed. "Are you okay being out here? I know it may not be easy for you considering… Jackson and all."

"It's a bit strange, but it doesn't bother me as much as I'm sure it bothers Mary."

"Mmm… yeah she's not exactly the biggest fan of our family."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment simply content watching the fire sends sparks into the dark sky. After a while, she turned to look at him. His face was calm, eyes intently staring at the fire. She noticed how relaxed his body was around her too. His shoulders were drooped instead of square, he let his head hang a bit lower than usual, and his legs were stretched out in front of him. Noticing her gaze on him, he turned to her with questioning eyes.

"I was thinking about us too. What our lives may have been like had we both been normal," Hayley said.

"We'd be far less interesting, I think," he said with a slight smile. "What did you imagine?"

"Maybe we would've met at a bar. You would've been in your suit, having a drink after a long day at the office. I'd be there with friends or drinking away my problems and then… I don't know. Date for a while, get married, have kids… grow old," Hayley mused. The last part came out of her mouth without realizing about it. Though she knew the depth of their feelings for one another, it wasn't like they had been dating- or whatever the hell they were- for very long. She cast a nervous eye up to gauge his reaction and found him looking with a rather perplexed look on his face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

His lips were soft on hers. His hands held her face firmly as he kissed her before breaking away. Breathless, she looked up to find an expression of utter love and compassion on his face. His eyes captured hers in an intense gaze that she couldn't break away from even if she wanted to.

"Though a bar would've been practical, I don't think there is any venue that could top first seeing you in the moonlight of that cemetery," he whispered. "I do dream of those things too. With you."

She found his lips with hers again and ran her hand through his dark, luscious hair pulling him closer to her. Never had she heard him say something so vulnerable or frankly romantic before. He was the noble one, the one who put others ahead of his own ambitions and desires. Finally, she was breaking that wall with him. She wanted to know all parts of him- not just the parts he thought were good enough to share with her. She needed to know what _he_ wanted.

"Elijah?" she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I know neither of us are really the emotional types, but…" Hayley bit her lip. She wasn't exactly the most eloquent person when it came to trying to say what she meant or felt- that was his department.

"Hayley, what is it?" he urged.

"I just need to know what you want. From all of this," Hayley murmured. Elijah furrowed his brow obviously confused about what she meant. Hayley sighed and sat back before taking his hand.

"Don't think I'm being stupid or insecure, okay?" she said. "You always put everyone ahead of your own needs and wants, which is one of the reasons why I love you, but I need to know what you want. From me and from Hope and… I just need you to be selfish for a minute."

Elijah looked at her bewildered for a moment. Did she not understand? Did he not show her how much he loved her? _And_ Hope? Perhaps that's what she meant. He thought that his actions were enough, but obviously they weren't.

"And don't tell me what you want is for me to be happy because you've used that line before and things didn't fare so well." Elijah chuckled and brought her hand to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand delicately as he looked into those hazel eyes he adored so much.

"What I want is you," he breathed. "I want to be with you until time ceases to exist. I want Hope to grow up with a loving family, to fall in love, and to live a wonderful life. I want to be there for both of you until you no longer need me to be, and even then, I will still be there. I want to love you forever. That's what I want, Hayley."

Tears had already gathered in the corners of Hayley's eyes and she did her best not to turn into an emotional wreck, but it was too late. Damn that man and his ability to make reading the phone book sound romantic. No one had ever said anything to her that had made her feel remotely close to what she was feeling right now. Not wanting to cry, Hayley crushed her lips to his. She no longer cared she was at Mary's house or that they were supposed to be on watch or that she could lose him tomorrow. She just cared about now.

"Have I mentioned how much I love you?" Elijah breathed in between their kisses.

"Once or twice, but I don't mind hearing it again."

* * *

In the morning, Hayley woke to an empty bed and the sound of hushed voices in the living area. Her watch read that it was eight in the morning and she groaned. She and Elijah hadn't crawled into bed until four that same morning. Grumbling, she threw a sweatshirt on and walked out into the kitchen to find Freya, Adira, Rebekah, and Elijah bickering quietly. Their conversation halted as Hayley walked out.

"Oh, don't stop on my account," she muttered. "What's going on?" When no one said anything, she turned to look at Elijah, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. Neither would Rebekah or Freya. Adira shuffled her feet and bit her lip as she tried to seem busy inspecting something on the wall.

"They were discussing using your daughter to perform a spell," Mary said as she stepped out of her room. She leaned up against the door frame and crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at the rest of the group.

"What kind of spell?" Hayley asked sternly. She turned her attention towards Freya and raised an eyebrow.

"Last night we pieced part of the spell together that's going to take down Marcel," she said. "In order to perform it, we need a large power source. Much like the one stuck in Klaus's chest."

"Okay…? So Hope was right about Klaus being awake in order to take down Marcel," Hayley said. "Where does her doing magic come in? I thought we agreed that you and Adira would perform the spell once you pieced it together."

"The problem is that I don't think we're the ones that can do the spell," Adira said slowly.

"You don't _think_?" Hayley asked.

"We know we can't," Freya said reluctantly.

"Kewanee told us that Hope was the only one who would be able to stop him, and she was right. No matter how powerful we are, Freya and I are just witches," Adira said. "Hope is a witch, werewolf, and a vampire. It took the combination of vampire, witch, and wolf to create the beast in the first place, so it makes sense that it would take all three to reverse the spell."

"Yeah but they were ingredients, right? Freya's blood, Lucien's blood, werewolf venom… can't you just throw some of Hope's blood in there and create a cure?" Hayley asked. She couldn't keep the nervousness out of her voice or the bile from rising in the back of her throat.

"I was only able to take Lucien down with the help of the Ancestral Plane," Freya said softly. "We don't have the power that she does."

"Well, channel her then!" Hayley yelled. "Syphon her power!"

"Hayley…" Elijah said trying to calm her down.

"It would overwhelm us. She's the only one with that much natural power that could channel Tunde's blade and possibly survive," Adira said.

"So she could die if she did this? Is that what you're telling me right now?" Hayley seethed.

"We would never-"

"-Never let anything happen to her; I've heard it before, Freya," Hayley spat. "I don't care if I have to scatter pieces of Marcel across the Pacific; it's _not_ happening."

Hayley stormed out of the house in a violent mess. She ran harder than she had run in ages, uprooting trees and throwing anything in her path. Tears blurred her vision as she vamped through the woods, so she did something she hadn't done in years. She changed. Though it broke every bone in her body, quite literally, the pain wasn't as bad as she remembered. As her paws hit the ground, she found herself running through the bayou with ease towards the one spot she wanted to be.

She found the old cabin easily. It had been a while since she had been out this way, but spending months in her wolf form out here had ingrained the area in her mind forever. The area around it was clearly deserted and had been for some time. She couldn't smell any presence out this way other than the animals that inhabited the bayou. She walked slowly towards the cabin and nudged the door open. It brought back intense memories with the pack, Jackson, and even Elijah, but she didn't let those memories flood her mind. First, she wanted to find clothes.

In retrospect, changing into her wolf form may not have been the smartest move, but she was pissed and the run felt good. They were all going insane if they thought for one minute that Hayley would let her seven-year-old daughter go up against Marcel. Even if she agreed, there's no way in hell that Klaus would. He'd dagger every single person before they could do that. That is, if they were able to save him first.

Remembering a trunk that she often kept spare clothes in, Hayley padded over to it and nudged the top open with her nose. Happy that her clothes were still there, Hayley changed back into her human form before dressing herself. The clothes were a little dusty and smelled like the bayou, but she smiled at the familiarity of them. She hadn't seen these clothes since before Hope was born.

She walked out on to the porch and stared at the sun rising over the lake. The last time she had been here was for Jackson's funeral. She shivered at the memory and wrapped her arms around herself. How the hell had she wrapped her little girl up in all of this? All she wanted to do was save Klaus and go home. She didn't want her involved with magic or Marcel or any of the dangerous supernatural lives that they all led.

"Hayley."

Her head snapped around to see Elijah standing a few feet away from her breathing heavily with a frightened expression on his face. Hayley's stomach dropped. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

"She's gone. Hope's gone."


End file.
